Do you know the Siberian tundra? It is a polar biographical region that spans mainly the Northern Hemisphere. Its main feature is a frozen subsoil with a lack of arboreal vegetation. The ground is covered with moss and lichens and is often swampy with peat bogs in many places. We cannot say that it is a very cozy place, but we assure you that there is a place, right in the siberian tundra, much more eerie and strange: the alley of the whales.
In Supercurioso we want to tell you about the old Eskimo sanctuary, an archaeological complex that is now one of the most important attractions in Chukotka. This is a beautiful place, but more than that, it is a place full of mystery. The alley of the whales fascinates all its public for its majesty. Join us to know its history!
the alley of the whales
Have you heard of the mysterious origin of Stonehenge? Located near Amesbury, in England, Stonehenge is a formation of metamorphic rocks distributed in four concentric circles officially dated to the late Neolithic (20th century BC). The purpose of the construction of this great monument is not known with certainty, but it is supposed that it was used as a religious temple, funerary monument or astronomical observatory to predict the seasons.
However, the alley of the whales reminds us a lot of this rock formation of Stonehenge, which attracted numerous onlookers and got the attention of half the world more than 50 years ago. As in the case of Stonehenge, we know little about this formation, not by chance, of whale bones, but we will give you some information.
Just like Stonehenge, the people who built this place are long gone, taking with them the answers to many of the questions we ask today, including: what was the purpose of this dark and creepy place?
The only thing we have today are the hypotheses of some researchers who maintain that this place could have been a sacred ground shared by the numerous and scattered Inuit tribes, a name used for the different peoples who inhabit the antartida.
1. Origin of the alley of the whales
Some archaeologists dare to say that these whale bones and skulls may date from the 14th century, the time of the heyday of the ancient culture of whalers of the Bering Strait.
It is also known that at that time there was a miniature ice age -especially in the arctic areas- leading to tremendous food shortages around the world.
Surely that common ground was used so that fishermen and hunters shared their wealth or perhaps even served to resolve some disputes between the inhabitants of the area. It is also possible that those bones were the way to a sacred placewhere perhaps sacrifices were made as an offering to have a good hunt that would ensure food.
It is important to keep in mind that all these hypotheses must be taken very carefully and with a certain distance, since they are merely speculations without any scientific basis to support them.
The investigations that have been carried out in the place establish that the alley of the whales It was a place used mainly on two occasions, in ceremonies and rituals, as well as in banquets and contests..
Archaeologists speculate about the end of the alley’s usefulness, they establish that the rituals of the Yttygran hunters go from the 14th century to the middle of the 16th century. When the whales stopped being recurring in this geographical area, due to the concentrations of cold.
The opening of the alley of the whales as a tourist place has its beginnings in 1977 thanks to an archaeological expedition that studied the area. Despite the different hypotheses of the origin of the alley of the whales, the inhabitants near the island -Yupik- insist on their numerous legends of oral tradition, that this it was just a gathering place where hunters butchered whales. In his opinion, it should not have any ritual or festive meaning.
2. Curious facts about the Alley
1. The alley of the whales or Alley of whale bones, is located on the island of Yttygran, about 82 kilometers off the coast of Alaska. Once you get there, you come across a 550 meter course lined with whale ribs, jaws and vertebrae embedded directly into the groundas you can see in the photograph.
2. This “structure” is spatially conceived in two rows of skulls, each of which is 2 m wide and approximately 1.5 m high, this is only the part that is on the surface of the earth! The second row is composed of massive pillars with a width and height of 1.5 m. Subsequently, there is a stone path of about 50 m ends in a space that has stone blocks arranged forming a circumference.
3. If you follow the spooky whale alley to the bottom, you’ll come to an open clearing. In that place, say the archaeologists, were the altars made with the skulls of giant whales placed on square holes that they were filled with tons of meat. It is without a doubt, one of the places only for the brave.
4. The alley of the whales was officially opened in 1976 by a group of researchers from the Institute of Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences belonging to the USSR. This complex is considered one of the fun facts about Russia!
5. The alley of the whales can be classified as the only standing monument of ancient Eskimo culture. Although they are only giant skulls and ribs of what were once whales, this archaeological complex is a primary source of information about the experiences and beliefs of a culture that has been little studied.
Surely you have wanted to plan your next trip to Greenland, in search of this curious construction and thus make your own guesses… Would you be one of those adventurers who would go into that alley of whale bones to investigate their origin? Tell us.
And if you want to continue reading about some curious topics, we recommend you read some curiosities about whales, you already know that they are the queens of the ocean.