An Alaska storm scattered artifacts. Archaeologists are racing to save what's left
A severe storm in Alaska unearthed ancient Yup'ik artifacts at the Nunalleq archaeological site, prompting an emergency recovery effort. Archaeologists are racing to save these cultural objects before further coastal erosion destroys them.
Why it matters
The loss of these artifacts represents a significant threat to the preservation of Alaska Native history and cultural heritage.
Last October, remnants of Typhoon Halong swept through western Alaska — causing widespread flooding and displacing over a thousand people in multiple far-flung villages off the state's road system.
In the coastal village of Quinhagak, the storm shook houses and damaged some buildings and infrastructure. And the day after it hit, Jenny Matthew and her husband rode four-wheelers along the torn-up beach, assessing the damage.
Only on NPR People's houses are collapsing into the ocean. FEMA gives them no other option The wind and floodwaters had peeled the tundra up like discarded carpeting. And as Matthew scanned the debris, suddenly, something caught her eye.
"I said to my husband, 'Look, what's that?' We stopped. He got up and took it, and it was that bowl," Matthew remembered.
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