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Title: Ethnological Results of the Point Barrow Expedition (Classics of Smithsonian Anthropology) by John Murdoch, William W. Fitzhugh ISBN: 0-87474-665-5 Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Press Pub. Date: January, 1988 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $49.95

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Average Customer Rating: 5 (1 review)

Rating: 5
Summary: A true classic!
Comment: This book contains the report written by John Murdoch on the ethnological studies of a US Army Signal Corps expedition to Point Barrow (actually about 7 or 8 miles south of the point itself) undertaken as part of the US effort in the International Polar Year. Although the primary thrust of the IPY was geophysical, the Point Barrow expedition collected a good amount of ethnological data, and large amounts of carefully documented material culture. Murdoch produced a very thorough well-illustrated report after returning from the field. Even skimming it should bring tremendous respect for the complex and ingeneous, yet sustainable, technology which enabled the Inupiat to not only survive, but thrive, in what is generally considered one of the harshest environments on Earth.

This volume contains that report along with a number of other documents produced by various members of the expedition, which prove to be very interesting supplements to Murdoch's report. The reproduction is excellent. Although it is in slighly smaller format than the original, the drawings and illustrations are still clear.

The primary audience will probably be those who are interested in pre- and post-contact Inupiat material culture, especially that of North Alaska, but others will find things of interest in it as well. Certainly, for anyone who needs to identify artifacts, whether archaeological or ethnographic, from this general region, this is the best resource there is besides an Elder. In fact, Murdoch has illustrations of things that some Elders of today have never seen in use.

This book is a true classic. The Smithsonian should be thanked for reissuing it, as the original was hard to find, expensive, and a bit heavy and delicate for field or lab use. This paperback version is both inexpensive enough and portable enough for such use. I actually have two copies (lab & office) so that the original can stay unmolested on the shelf.