Although Archeologist J. Louis Giddings passed away in December 1964 from injuries sustained in a car accident, his three decades of pioneering research in Northwest Alaska significantly deepened our understanding of the Arctic’s human history. His legacy continues to inspire a new generation of archaeologists who now carry on his research within the regions that have become known as Cape Krusenstern National Monument and Kobuk Valley National Park.

The field of Arctic archaeology has been deeply influenced by J. Louis Giddings. For over twenty years, Giddings led five significant excavations in Northwest Alaska, uncovering numerous previously unidentified cultures and important archaeological sites. His investigations at Cape Krusenstern beach ridges and Onion Portage established the foundation for modern views of human history in Arctic Alaska. Although he arrived millennia after the area’s earliest inhabitants, Giddings is still pivotal in sharing their story. This crucial location along the Kobuk River is called Paatitaaq, which translates to “onion” in Inupiaq, the language of the Inupiat, the indigenous people who inhabit and make their living in this area. The name derives from the wild alliums found along the riverbanks. Its English name, Onion Portage, also reflects the presence of these plants and a portage route that shortens the river journey by about 10 miles (16 km). Paatitaaq remains a key meeting spot for residents of the Northwest Arctic Borough, who gather here to hunt migrating caribou, especially during the autumn season.
Born in Caldwell, Texas, in 1909, Giddings was drawn to Alaska by both his personal and professional interests. After earning his BS from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1931 and pursuing further studies at the University of Arizona, he became an anthropology professor at UAF in 1938. The following year, he was invited by colleague Froelich Rainey to join a summer excavation near Point Hope, about 150 miles north of Kotzebue. This excavation unearthed the first artifacts of the Ipiutak civilization, a mysterious culture known for their elaborate ivory carvings, which thrived from the Bering Straits to Point Barrow for over a thousand years. This venture marked Giddings’ first involvement in fieldwork and Arctic archaeology, an experience he equated to the excitement of discovering King Tut’s tomb. His solo journey down the Kobuk River the next summer, in search of wood samples, would significantly influence his career.
In July 1961, Giddings paused his work at Cape Krusenstern to return to Onion Portage on the Kobuk River. Initially, he left the site after only uncovering a few recent house pits, but he always felt more discoveries were to be made. Two decades later, his return to Onion Portage uncovered substantial evidence, establishing it as one of the oldest and best-documented sites in both the Arctic and North America, a highlight of his distinguished career. Giddings returned to Onion Portage in 1964 to extend his excavations. His team’s work revealed that it had been a hunting site for various cultural groups over thousands of years. The site offered artifacts from nine distinct cultures dating back 10,000 years, making it a landmark in North American archaeology.

Photos courtesy of nationalparksservice.com