Scientists unravel the mysteries of 8000-year-old petroglyphs in Alaska: the oldest forms of human expression

Alaska has a storied history, and many revered Native American tribes have left their marks on the land. But one particular historical artifact has captured the imagination of scientists and remains a mystery to this day: a petroglyph beach in Wrangell, Alaska.

Ancient Origins writes about it.

This mysterious beach is located along the Inner Passage Coastal Route and Wrangell is a small and laid-back fishing village with a rich Native American identity. This region is a true natural paradise with sharp mountains, dense boreal forests, rocky beaches and spacious archipelagos.

Just 1.6 kilometers from the city is the Petroglyph Beach, where uneven rocks are decorated with intricate stone carvings. These petroglyphs are some of the oldest forms of human cultural expression that can be found around the world, but are rarely found in such dense concentrations in North America.

Between 40 and 50 carvings can be seen on the beach, most of which are well preserved and estimated to be up to 8,000 years old. The origin of these carvings remains a mystery.

Although Native Americans belonging to the Tlingit and other tribes have lived in the region for thousands of years, these petroglyphs could have been created by earlier inhabitants who inhabited the area before the tribes arrived.

The images on the beach combine elements of Tlingit and Haida styles, as well as primitive and crude images of more ancient cultures.

See also: Decorated with images of flowers, lions and corals: 800-year-old tomb found in China

Scientists make several assumptions about the creator of these drawings. According to one, they could have been created by the Haida, who lived on the neighboring Haida Gwaii Islands for 13,000 years. Another argues that they were created by a completely different cultural group, predating both the Haida and the Tlingit.

The petroglyphs include both simple symbols and complex carvings of killer whales, salmon, ravens, birds, fish, and other creatures of great importance to the local Indian tribes.

The petroglyph beach in Wrangell shows how rich the history of the pre-European era is in Alaska and North America.

As a reminder, Bronze Age artifacts and "elite tombs" were found in northern China.

If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!