In 1951 the expedition explored a 40 by 60 feet house mound in which they dug to the middle of a room. Upon their return last summer, they continued digging and found that the room was part of a five room house. The Eskimos, research revealed, lived in semi-subterranean houses, with sod block walls erected around frames of drift wood and whale bones. This form of building is unique at barrow, for most other Eskimo dwellings are single room houses of smaller size.
The group found over 6000 artifacts, implements, and household articles, among which was a toboggan. The expedition also located many human skeletons in the mounds--none, however, of the "original American." Carter said the search for the "original American" is a secondary purpose on all such surveys.
Exhibited at Peabody
All the articles found have been shipped to Peabody Museum, where they are being interpreted and catalogued. After they are processed, in about a year, they will be sent to the National Museum, because of the Navy sponsorship of the project. Carter stated that a few would "probably be kept" at Peabody.
At present the museum is showing a special exhibit of the Alaskan finds which will be supplemented when more of last year's relics have been processed.
The explorers from Peabody made their way over the tundra in the most "modern" of vehicles--the Weasel, an amphibious auto with tracks, ribs, and pontoons to keep it above water and to prevent it from sinking into the tundra. The group worked in continual daylight from July 1 to September 1, when the sun is constantly above the horizon.
Point Barrow is surrounded by treacherous ice flows. In 1856 a New England whaling fleet was lost at Barrow. Former explorations at Barrow have been hampered by the difficulty in approaching the area. Before the airport was built, the last expedition to the Point, which was made during the 1930's, had to spend the winter there, waiting for a ship to return for them after the ice melted.
But Carter and his crew will fly to the northland again this July, looking for buried Eskimo house mounds, the "original American," and--John Quincy Adams.