The University of Tuktoyaktuk enjoys a history stretching back through the foggy corridors of time. Unfortunately, the University has -- like so many of its students -- lost important papers to the whims of circumstance.

The Tuk-U Archaeology Department has recently been tasked with conducting detailed research into our history. Each time they uncover a new piece of the puzzle, we'll present it to you here in "About Tuk-U". Here's an interesting tidbit to start you off.

Early Alumni:
The Tuk-U Cave Paintings

In the summer of 1996, a pair of disoriented Norwegian tourists sought shelter from a large flock of northern mosquitoes. Running and ducking, they accidentally tumbled into what came to be known as "Naughty Cavern" just a few kilometers from Tsital Trein Creek. Striking a light for a mosquito coil, Lars Rebnord was astonished to find himself surrounded by walls covered with unusual, primitive paintings.

Not knowing that they had stumbled onto a Tuk-U artistic treasure, the intrepid travelers mistook the paintings for nude graffiti. Back in Norway, the Rebnords produced their photographs of the cave paintings as a series of off-color Norwegian postcards.

The following year, Dr. Rory McNuttall, head of Tuk-U archaeology, received one of the postcards from his vacationing Swedish colleague, Dr. Olaf Svenson. He immediately recognized the paintings as coming from Tuk-U, but was baffled as to how they ended up on the postcards.

Investigation led Dr. McNuttall to the Rebnords, who sent copies of their holiday photos and their detailed hiking map. "At first I too was skeptical that the paintings were anything other than graffiti," confesses Dr. McNuttall, "but there are a few legends that hint at a Tuk-U campus some 17,000 years ago."

An expedition set forth from Aklavik to determine the authenticity of the paintings. Today we have the great honour of presenting the first published artist's renderings, along with Dr. McNuttall's expert interpretations. Read on!

The Paintings

"This first painting is obviously a depiction of an early Tuk-U beer social" notes Dr. McNuttall. "In Paleolithic times, glass had not yet been invented, and so Tuk-U students would have carried their beer in hollowed-out rocks as you see here."

The second painting illustrates another social event. This time, the figure is carrying a bowl, most likely used to hold some kind of pre-historic party snack. "Note the long sleeves on her TukWear" says Dr. McNuttall. "This is the sort of clue that only an archaeologist would notice -- and it led us to deduce that the cave artist is portraying a
winter event."

The final cave painting in the series is that of an ancient pingo ball player. "This was a difficult interpretation" mused Dr. McNuttall. "For several years, there was a raging controversy in the department as to whether the figure was a depiction of pingo ball, net fishing, or husky chasing. The debate was finally resolved by an extended game of 'Scissors, Paper, Stone' and the pingo ball interpretation is now considered official."

Dr. McNuttall concludes that "the discovery of the cave paintings was a tremendous step forward in the documentation of Tuk-U history." The ancient paintings are the oldest cultural and social artifacts currently in the University's collection. "Now," he laughs, "we only have 17,000 more years to account for!"