Chugachik Island lies between Bear Cove to the south and Martin River to the north on the Kenai Peninsula, about 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Homer and 3.3 miles (5.3 km) south-southeast of Kachemak Selo, Alaska. The island is located approximately 800 feet (244 m) off the eastern mainland shore near the head of Kachemak Bay in Kachemak Bay State Park. It measures roughly 0.25 miles (0.4 km) in width and 0.45 miles (0.7 km) in length. The name was first reported in 1848 by Captain Mikhail Tebenkov of the Imperial Russian Navy. Chugachik Island consists of partially metamorphosed rocks of the McHugh Complex, formed during the Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous period, approximately 145 million years ago, from turbiditic deposits in a deep ocean trench. The rocks are conglomerate and massive graywacke, consisting primarily of chert and volcanic rock fragments. The McHugh Complex is part of the larger metasedimentary graywacke, siltstone, and shale of the Valdez Group, which in turn belongs to the Southern Margin composite terrane. This terrane is an accretionary wedge exposed along much of the continental margin of the Gulf of Alaska coastline.

The island holds significant archaeological interest, with at least two excavated sites. One notable site is a midden over 6 feet (2m) deep, where plant and animal remains have been found alongside human artifacts, such as stone and bone tools, and a birch bark cradle. Excavations took place in 1974 and 1977, with radiocarbon dating indicating the island was inhabited for around 800 years. Most artifacts are small projectile points and other chipped stone implements, which outnumber ground stone items. The site also yielded numerous bone tools, including several carved figurines, and over 1,000 small notched stones. The oldest artifacts were determined from sewn birch bark found in a shell layer near the bottom of the pit, directly above the peat layer, which was dated to 306 BC. The middle of the occupation period was dated using mid-level samples taken from various areas of the midden, ranging from 245 BC to AD 10. A sample taken near the top of the midden was dated to AD 475. The second site, excavated in 1982, revealed three layers of occupation. These layers date from 100 BC to a Dena’ina Athabascan occupation, estimated to be from the late 19th century. This latter find represents the first known evidence of Dena’ina occupation in Kachemak Bay. The artifacts and evidence from these sites provide a timeline of human occupation ranging from at least 306 BC to the late 1800s.

The middens in Kachemak Bay reveal the historical and prehistoric importance of various animals to its inhabitants. Although the bay lacks major salmon spawning streams, halibut, cod, and flounder were vital resources. Before being depleted in the 20th century, Kachemak Bay also supported significant spring spawning runs of Pa­cific herring. Birds, terrestrial mammals, marine mammals, fish, and shellfish were crucial to traditional economies. The bay’s extreme tidal ranges provided easy access to shellfish, such as blue mussels and clams. Shells of whelks, clams, cockles, periwinkles, limpets, moon snails, mussels, barnacles, and urchins were found in the middens, but crabs and shrimp were not significant prehistorically. Waterfowl and seabirds were significant resources in prehistoric times. Kachemak Bay is the most important waterbird habitat in lower Cook Inlet, with over 100,000 waterfowl wintering there. Resident birds are joined by a major influx of migrants in the fall and a smaller one in the spring, using the bay as a staging area. Evidence from middens on Chugachik Island and other sites indicates these birds were hunted prehistorically by the early Kachemak people and historically by the Dena’ina. Read more here and here. Explore more of Chugachik Island and Kachemak Bay here: