What do you think this is? What was it used for?

Who would have used it? When do you think it was made?

Answers:

What do you think this is? What was it used for?

This is an ulu, a wood-handled scraping knife, made by one of the indigenous cultures of Alaska. It was a multi-purpose tool, which could be used for scraping hides of for any of the variety of things you might need a sharp edge for.

Who would have used it? When do you think it was made?

For the past 4500 years the ulu was traditionally a tool used by indigenous women in what is now Alaska. This one was donated to the Karshner Center in 1930, and was made some time before then.

For more information, visit:

• This artifact in the Karshner Digital Collections
• Artifact Worksheets you can use in your classroom or for homeschool
• The Ulu: Chemistry and Inuit women’s culture
• Inuit Tools [Gilcrease Museum]
• Yupik Tribe
• Aleut Facts

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