The Early Kachemak Phase on Kodiak Island at Old Kiavak

Mima Kapches is head of the Department of Anthropology at the Royal
Ontario Museum.

Donald Clark’s reports on his 1963 archeological excavations at the
site of Old Kiavak, Kodiak Island, Alaska, in this book. It is difficult
to report on excavations that occurred one season ago, let alone after a
lapse of 34 years. Questions that result from ambiguity or lack of
detail in the field notes cannot be easily answered. The result is a
general report that focuses on artifacts, which are at hand, rather than
on the excavation which happened long ago.

The book, which is suitable for specialists of the area but not for
general readers, has several weaknesses. First, there is no map that
clearly shows the location of Kodiak Island in relation to Alaska.
Second, too many “laundry lists” of artifacts are interspersed with
the text. Third, the text is often unclear and contains language that is
incomprehensible even to specialists (e.g., “stopdate forward”).
Finally, the plates are poorly organized.

Flaws aside, the book reports on significant work and therefore merits
a place in the specialist’s library.