National Historic Landmark

Ipiutak Site

Point Hope Peninsula, North Slope County, Alaska
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
66000157

About this property

The Ipiutak Site is a large archaeological site at Point Hope on the northwestern coast of Alaska, United States. Located on the Tikigaq spit, it is one of the largest precontact village sites in Arctic Alaska and forms part of a larger archaeological district associated with the ancestors of the Iñupiat. The site contains more than 500 abandoned house depressions and is the type site for the Ipiutak culture, which arose as early as 100–200 BCE and collapsed around 800 CE. Many of the houses were associated with large whale and walrus bones, and whale mandibles marked important spaces within the settlement. Excavations uncovered houses, over 100 burials, and a large collection of artifacts, including elaborately carved objects made from ivory, wood, bone, and stone. The site is renowned for its mortuary offerings, openwork ivory carvings, and insights into a hunting society that relied on marine mammals and caribou. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Location

Point Hope Peninsula, North Slope County, Alaska

Categories

PREHISTORIC
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Ipiutak Site

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Questions about this property

When was Ipiutak Site listed on the National Register?

Ipiutak Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Ipiutak Site?

Ipiutak Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Ipiutak Site a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Ipiutak Site has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Ipiutak Site?

The period of significance for Ipiutak Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Ipiutak Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Ipiutak Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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