Radar Scans Uncover an Alaskan Fort Built to Scare Off Russia
27 JANUARY 2021
The Shís gi Noow or sapling fort was built by the Tlingit people in Alaska at the start of the 19th century: one last physical barrier to advancing Russian forces. Now, thanks to modern-day radar and imaging techniques, it s been rediscovered.
After the pivotal battle there in 1804, which marked the start of six decades of Russian rule, the true location of the Shís gi Noow had become uncertain – until new research found the fort s unusual perimeter shape in Sitka National Historical Park, at the mouth of Kasda Heen (Indian River).
Archaeology discovery: The legendary fort has finally been found (Image: Getty)
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In doing so, they eliminated other potential sites suggested in the surrounding area.
Thomas Urban, a Cornell University archaeologist, said in a statement: “The fort s definitive physical location had eluded investigators for a century. Previous archaeological digs had found some suggestive clues, but they never really found conclusive evidence that tied these clues together.
Russian forces landed in 1799 determined to forge a forward position for fur trading.
Archaeology discovery: Electromagnetic induction (EM) in phase result for the broader survey – areas south and north of the Indian River (Image: Cambridge University Press)
The Historical Significance of Shiskinoow, the “Sapling Fort”
The Tlingit clans built Shiskinoow (also spelled Shís’gi Noow and translated to the “sapling fort”) to bolster their defenses against the Russian army . An
Antiquity press release for the new paper explains the story behind the creation of this culturally significant Alaskan fort:
“In 1799, Russia sent a small army to take over Alaska in order to develop the fur trade, but the Tlingit successfully expelled them in 1802. Expecting the Russians to return, the Tlingit built a wooden fort over two years – the trapezoidal-shaped Shiskinoow. The Tlingit armed it with guns, cannons and gunpowder obtained from British American traders.”
Elusive 19th century Alaskan fort located using radar tech 25-Jan-2021 10:05 AM EST, by Cornell University
Newswise ITHACA, N.Y. – Researchers from Cornell University and the National Park Service have pinpointed and confirmed the location of the remnants of a wooden fort in Alaska – the Tlingit people’s last physical bulwark against Russian colonization forces in 1804 – by using geophysical imaging techniques and ground-penetrating radar.
The fort was the last physical barrier to fall before Russia’s six-decade occupation of Alaska, which ended when the United States purchased Alaska in 1867 for $7 million.
The Tlingit built what they called Shiskinoow – the “sapling fort” – on a peninsula in modern-day Sitka, Alaska, where the mouth of Kasda Heen (Indian River) meets Sitka Sound at the Sitka National Historical Park.
January 25, 2021
For a century, archaeologists have looked for the remnants of a wooden fort in Alaska – the Tlingit people’s last physical bulwark against Russian colonization forces in 1804. Now Cornell and National Park Service researchers have pinpointed and confirmed its location by using geophysical imaging techniques and ground-penetrating radar. National Park Service/Provided
Russian Commander Iurii Lisianskii’s 1804 outline drawing of the Tlingit fort used to defend against Russia’s colonization forces. Cornell and U.S. National Park Service researchers have pinpointed the fort’s exact location in Sitka, Alaska.
The Tlingit built what they called Shiskinoow – the “sapling fort” – on a peninsula in modern-day Sitka, Alaska, where the mouth of Kasda Heen (Indian River) meets Sitka Sound at the Sitka National Historical Park. The fort was the last physical barrier to fall before Russia’s six-decade occupation of Alaska, which ended when the Unite