Cultural Resources
Ethnography:
The Chugach Eskimos of Prince William Sound and the Unixkugmiut of the Gulf Coastal area of the Kenai Peninsula occupied the southern end of the Iditarod Trail. The Chugach were divided into eight tribes which, although sharing the same culture and language, were politically independent. Their villages were along the coast, usually in protected waters. The interior, although frequented by hunters, was not occupied. The Unixkugmiut, although also an Eskimo group, were considered by the Chugach to be a separate people.

At the time of contact, the Cook Inlet area, including the majority of the Kenai Peninsula, was occupied by the Tanaina Athapaskans. Most researchers believe that the Tanaina moved into this area from the north, replacing an earlier Eskimo population. Like other northern Indians, the Tanaina depended primarily on fish, although land mammals, marine resources, and vegetable products were also important foods. Their exploration of marine resoyrces made the Tanaina unique among Athapaskan groups. Of all the Indians of the Cook Inlet, the Tanaina of the upper Cook Inlet-Susitna arae tended to be more oriented toward interior, maintaining contact with groups in the upper Kuskokwim drainage.

North of the Alaska Range, the Trail passes through the homelands of the three of the linguistic groups of Athapaskans inhabiting interior Alaska: the Kolchan, or the Upper Kuskokwim, the Holiachuk, and the Koyukon. The Kolchan inhabit the basin or the Upper Kuskokwim, from west of Lake Minchumina to the Swift River, and from the Alaska Range to the slopes of the Kuskokwim Mountains. At the time of contact, there were probably 250-300 Indians in this arae. The Holikachuk region is composed of the lowlands of the middle and upper Innoko, the lower Iditarod and Dishna Rivers, and a portion of the Yukon River. The population of this area just after coontact was approximately 150-200. The Koyukon Athapaskans inhabited the most extensive area claimed by any of the Athapaskans groups in Alaska. The Iditarod Trail passes through only the southwestern portion of the Koyukon region. Along the trail, the Kaiyuh Flats and mountains, and the Yukon River are the predominant features. For the Yukon River, from just above Nulato downstream to Blackburn, and including the Kaltag Portage, Zagoskin (1840's) gives a population of 221 in 10 villages. By 1903, this had grown to 343 in Koyukon villages.

All three groups along the trail followed similar seasonal rounds of subsistence activities. Salmon fishing was a major summer activity, while fall was a time of major caribou hunts. Fall was the time for bear and sheep hunts as well. Fishing through the ice and trips to hunting areas were important winter activities. Among the Koyukon, winter was also a time for trading with the Eskimos on the coast. Spring was a time of hunting for caribou and migratory waterfowl, trapping, and fishing.

From Unalakleet to Golovin Bay, the Trail traverses an area which in the 18th and 19th centuries was occupied by Unalit-speaking Eskimos. During the 19th century, the Malemiut also began to move into this region. For the people of this area, Norton Bay was the center of activity. Seal and caribou hunting were important, as was fishing for salmon and herring, hunting of migratory waterfowl, egging, and collecting berries. The population of this area never exceeded over 400.

The trail segment from Golovin to Nome is a portion of a cultural and linguistic area which streched from Safety Sound to Cape Douglas and included King abd Sledge Islands. During the 19th century, the people of this area spoke the Igloo dialect of Eskimo. Caribou, fish, and seals were important subsistence items.

Smaller animals -- ground squirrels, rabbits, and ptarmigan -- were also heavily utilized. Waterfowl were hunted during the spring. The population of the larger region was probably about 370, although about one-half of these people lived on the two larger islands.

Archaeology
The Iditarod Trail follows a portion of an extensive network of prehistoric and historic Native travel routes. For example, Native use of the Kaltag Portage is well documented. The routes from Passage Canal to Turnagain Arm and over Rainy Pass were well known at the time of contact. It is not surprising, therefore, that there are 100 known sites along the primary route and connecting trails. These include prehistoric and early historic villages, temporary campsites, cemeteries, and traditional gathering places.

The Iditarod Trail can be viewed as a system connecting prehistoric villages which has evolved over the past 150 years into the race trail today. The reason for travel along the trail system have changes through the Russian and early American periods, but the routes have remained basically the same. Of the historic sites directly associated with the Iditarod trail, 19 have a prehistoric or early period componet.

In compilling the listing of archaeological sites on the Iditarod Trail, a wide variety of materials were used. The Alaska Heritage Resource Survey maps and site cards were a primary source. Also consulted were published archaelogical monographs and a wide variety of unpublished survey reports, most of which are located in the files of the State Office of History and Archaeology. The accounts of many of the early explorers of the area were consulted, either in the original, or as summarized by later writers. For the portion of the trail within the Doyon region, the report of the area's cultural resources by the Cooperative Parks Studies Unit was very useful. William Schneider, Roger McPherson, and Dr. James Dixon also contributed valuable information on sites in this area. Finally, Robert Gal provided additional material on sites along the coast of Norton Bay.

In order to complete this review, the following sources of information should be also be considered:

1. The place name material collected by the Alaska Native Language Center for areas along the trail, especially the Tyonel and Talkeetna quadrangles.
2. The Bering Straits Regional Corporation's 14 (h) (i) selections for the Kaltag Portage area and the coastline from Unalakleet to Nome.
3. Unpublished information from a 1970 survey of the coastline from Nome to St. Michaels by Dr. John Bockstoce.
   
   
   

Unfortunately, these were unavailable at the time of this report.

The significance of archaeological sites is most often judged on whether they have or may yield information important to archaeologist or historian. Minimally, in order to determine significance, the extent and nature of deposits and the cultural affiliation of a site must be determined. It must be shown that the data which the property contains may hold the answer to a particular research question or set of questions.

Because of the disparity in the amount of information available for the individual sites considered here, it was not possible to evaluate the signifiicance of each one according to National Register criteria. Instead, the sites have been divided into four categories:

1. Sites determined eligible for or on the National Registe of historical Places.
2. Sites potentially eligible for inclusion on the register.
3. Sites likely not eligible for inclusion on the register.
4. Sites for which potential eligibility cannot presently be determined.
   

Of the archaeological sites identified along the primary and connecting trails, two are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and one has been determined as eligible for inclusion on the Register. The Iyatayet sites on Norton Bay was listed as a National Historic Landmark in January 1961 and subsequently listed on the Natioanl Register. Iyatayet, investigated by J.L. Giddings from 1948 to 1952, is the type site for both the Denbigh Flint complex and the Norton culture.

The Beluga Point site, south of Anchorage on Turnagain Arm, was listed on the National Register in 1978. Materials recovered from this site date from 6500 B.P., to within the last 100 years. Beluga Point may provide data useful in the elucidation of the Eskimo and Athapaskan prehistory of Cook Inlet.

Considered by some residents of Nome to be the home of their ancestors and significant for the information it may contain concerning Bering Strait prehistory, the Nuk site was listed as eligible for inclusion on the register in 1977.

Other sites along the Iditarod will undoubtedly qualify for inclusion on the Register once their significance is determined. In most instances, this will require further field work to obtain the information necessary for such evaluation.

The third category of sites consists of those which contain such scant cultural material that there is little likelihood that they could be placed on the National Register. Also included in this group are site swhich have been seriously damaged or destroyed.

Finally, the majority of the sites considered here are so little known that it is impossible to determine the level of their significance. Many of these will also qualify for listing on the Register and should be given due consideration by the appropriate land managers.

This categorization is only a gross evaluation of a site's significance and is primarily based on the level of archaeological investigation at each. Final decision concering the management of any of these sites should be made only after a proper consideration of their actual significance.

Ata second level, the significance of certain sites should be judged

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