About this property
The Wales Site, whose principal component is the Kurigitavik mound, is a well-documented archeological site on the Cape Prince of Wales, near Wales, Alaska. This site has artifacts from the Birnirk culture as well as the first discovery in Alaska of the later Thule culture. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962 for its archaeological significance. The Wales site is located on the south shore of the Seward Peninsula of northwestern Alaska, very near Cape Prince of Wales, the westernmost point in North America. The area is archaeologically sensitive, with a significant number of sites clustered in an area between the native village of Wales and the former Tin City Air Force Station. The Kurigitavik Mound (whose most recent survey designation is TEL-079) has been the focus of significant archaeological activity since the 1920s, when it was first examined by the pioneering Canadian anthropologist Diamond Jenness. It was again excavated by Henry B. Collins of the Smithsonian Institution in the 1930s, and by Don Dumond in the 1970s. Most recently it has been the subject of an extensive investigation by Roger B. Harritt, beginning in the late 1990s and extending into the 2000s. Finds at the site have included nearly complete partially subterranean house structures, including one in which seemingly ritualistically placed walrus skulls were found. Tools found at the site include barbed harpoon heads and bowls fashioned from baleen in a layer dated to the Punuk period (c. 800-1400 CE). The site is significant because it appears to include shifting cultural uses over time, between cultural groups engaged in different practices and originating either from other parts of Alaska or from Siberia. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962 for its archaeological significance, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. National Register of Historic Places listings in Nome Census Area, Alaska Detailed description of plans to explore trading patterns of inhabitants A Preliminary Reevaluation of the Punuk-Thule Interface at Wales, Alaska
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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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Questions about this property
When was Wales Sites listed on the National Register?
Wales Sites was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.
What type of historic resource is Wales Sites?
Wales Sites is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Wales Sites a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Wales Sites 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 Wales Sites?
The period of significance for Wales Sites is recorded as the civil_war era.
Can I research the history near Wales Sites?
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 Wales Sites will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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