Two thousand years ago, the inhabitants of the islands in the Bering Strait created haunting andn elegant figurines and hunting implements from ivory, while living under the most brutal conditions imaginable. Although made for daily use, their harpoon points, sockets, and counterweights were intricately engraved out of respect for the animals that were being hunted. The figurines, whose intended use is not known, look like little sculptures by Modigliani. The later Old Bering Sea cultures continued to produce ivory artifacts for the next thousand years. 

To see sample works of Old Bering Sea cultures, click on the WORKS tab.

About Alaskan Antiquities (PDF)