Punuk Islands

Photo, taken 1977, of skulls washed up on the beach on the Punuk Islands. The photographer noted that this was a common occurrence there.

The Punuk Islands are a chain of three small islets in the Bering Sea off the eastern end of St. Lawrence Island.^[1] They are located 8.5 km to the southeast of Cape Apavawook and 18 km to the southwest of Niyghapak Point.

These islands were drawn on the map with their Siberian Yupik name, which was obtained in 1849 by Capt. M. D. Tebenkov, of the Imperial Russian Navy. They are also known by the names "Pinik Islands" and "Poongook Islands."

The Punuk Islands are a natural habitat for walruses and seabirds. The Tundra Voles found on the island belong to an endemic subspecies (Microtus oeconomus punukensis).

The Okvik site, a significant Punuk culture archaeological site, was discovered on the Punuk Islands by Otto W. Geist in 1931. Geist and Ivar Skarland excavated the site in 1934, which yielded fossilized walrus ivory artifacts, many of which are now in the collection of the University of Alaska.^[1]

References

1 2 "Rainey, Froelich - Eskimo Prehistory: the Okvik Site (1941) ." Northern Waterways. (retrieved 2 Dec 2009)

External links

USGS-GNIS
Mass Natural Mortality of Walruses at the Punuk Islands
Artifacts from the Punuk Islands, Alaska's Digital Archives

Coordinates: 63°04′48″N 168°49′05″W / 63.08000°N 168.81806°W / 63.08000; -168.81806

Islands in the Bering Sea

Adak Adugak Agattu Aiktak Akun Akutan Amak Amaknak Amatignak Amchitka Amlia Amukta Anangula Ananiuliak Arakamchechen Atka Attu Avatanak Aziak Bering Besboro Bobrof Bogoslof Buldir Carlisle Chagulak Chuginadak Chugul Derbin Egg Gareloi Great Sitkin Hagemeister Hall Hawadax Herbert Igitkin Ilak Kagalaska Kagamil Kanaga Karaginsky Kasatochi Khvostof King Kiska Koniuji Kritskoi Little Sitkin Little Tanaga Medny Nelson Nunivak Oglodak Otter Pancake Rock Poa Rootok Sagchudak Samalga Sanak Sea Lion Rock Sea Otter Rocks Sedanka Seguam Segula Semisopochnoi Shemya Sledge St. Lawrence St. Matthew St. Michael St. Paul Stuart Tagalak Tanaga Tigalda Ugamak Ulak Uliaga Umak Umnak Unalaska Unalga Unimak Walrus Walrus (Pribilof) Wislow Yttygran Yunaska

Island groups Aleutian Andreanof Baby Commander Delarof Diomede Fox Four Mountains Krenitzin Kudobin Near Pribilof Punuk Rat Sanak Seal Walrus Walrus and Kritskoi

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