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The most prominent feature of the Western and Arctic coast
is the broad, flat coastal plain. Nine species of marine mammals,
including polar bears, seals, walrus, and bowhead whales, inhabit
this coastal sea-ice environment. Seals were probably the most
useful animals in providing many of the day-to-day needs of the
coastal Eskimos. The Eskimos have created spectacular ivory carvings
since 500 B.C. Prehistoric artworks often had engraved decorative
lines and drilled pits inlayed with jet, baleen, or wood.
In this gallery, video clips produced by the Alaska Native Heritage
Film Center enhance understanding of the exhibit themes by showing
whale hunting, dancing and storytelling.
In 1971, marine scientists discovered the Boulder Patch, commonly
referred to as the "Arctic's underwater garden." The
Museum's one-third scale diorama shows these diverse animals and
explains why the growing season for the plant community occurs
in the dead of winter.
The Dinosaurs of Alaska exhibit emphasizes the Museum's pioneering
techniques used to collect plants and animals that lived on Alaska's
North Slope during the Cretaceous era, 65 million years ago. This
Museum now has the largest collection of high-latitude dinosaurs
and related vertebrates in the world, including many early mammal
and reptilian species. |
Polar Bear and Seals |
