The Birnirk culture is a prehistoric Inuit civilization of the north coast of Alaska, dating from 500 AD to 900 AD and disappearing around 1000 AD. It succeeded the Punuk and Old Bering Sea/Okvik cultures and is distinguished from those cultures due to different art and harpoon styles. It preceded the Thule culture. During the Birnirk culture, sea mammals were hunted. "Open-water pursuit" (using kayaks) was used.
A burial mound of the Birnirk culture was discovered in the town of Wales; 16 more have been found in Barrow at the "Birnirk Site," which is now a National Historic Landmark. An ancient Birnirk village was at Ukpeagvik.
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“Our culture has become something that is completely and utterly in love with its parent. It’s become a notion of boredom that is bought and sold, where nothing will happen except that people will become more and more terrified of tomorrow, because the new continues to look old, and the old will always look cute.”
—Malcolm McLaren (b. 1946)