Cape Thomas. The place where the first time on Wrangel Island was raised by the Russian flag.

 archaeological site, cape (geography), invisible

In 1911 the island of Wrangel came icebreaking vessel «Vaigach» Hydrographic Expedition of the Arctic Ocean. Here at Mount Thomas, our sailors landed on the island and raised the national flag of Russia. There is photography, zapechatlevshaya this event, the one with a fortified guriem mast with a flag and a number - a group of members of the expedition. Swimming «Vaigach» was extremely important - because he had secured the rights of Russia in the possession of the island. This is the point where the flag was first raised, ushered in the world of the islands belonging Russia.

"Cape Thomas is located just north of Blossoma, in twenty-five kilometers. It is looming on the horizon of the black down, burned and melted in the sun. We decided to get to it, aware that it is large, it is not studied rookery. In addition, near the cape, on the slopes of Mount Thomas, presumed to have once lived onkilony .... The most legendary onkilony, who dedicated his famous book «Earth Sannikova» Vladimir Hoop. onkilony Those who have long been there and know where they are happened.

According to legend, once onkilonov was greater than the stars in the sky than the birds on the shore rocks, than fish in the sea. Their zhirniki shone on the Arctic coast of Cape Shalagskogo to the Bering Strait. The enmity between them and the nomadic herders has meant that by the beginning of XVII century, deserted beach, there is only one tribe onkilonskoe under the guidance Krekhiv. Lieutenant Ferdinand Wrangel, traveling at the beginning of last century in search of the island, then called his name, wrote on Krehae that Chief onkilonov «wandered a long time and finally disappeared at m Il-Kaypi where hitherto seen natural wall, behind which he settled. But the young Chukchee Errim, thirst for vengeance for the death of his father, found a means of kick in it ... »
Dark past onkilony down on the belts with the cliff-Il Kaypi and «to fifteen Baidar fled in an unfamiliar land, with clear sunny days leading from Cape Yakan».

So the legend says. And what the scientists say? They have no unified opinion on the matter. However, they mostly agree that onkilony - it drevneeskimosskoe tribe disappeared until the middle of XVII century, and that the title «onkilony» comes from the Chukchi «ankalyt», which means «Coast resident». At Il-Kaypi (now Cape Kozhevnikova) at different times were excavated Nordensheld, and Magadan Nordkvist archaeologist NN Dikov. Have been found remains of settlements and a lot of things belonging onkilonam. But where have gone the same fifteen Baydar, and that was with them? From the Cape Yakan «in the bright sunny days» is visible only one ground - Wrangel Island. So onkilony went there?

There was nitochka, following which could disentangle. In Moscow, Merzlyakovskom Lane, is a geologist Leonid V. Gromov. A renowned scholar, veteran, honored people. At one time he had to find on the island of Wrangel. In a meeting with Leonid V. we started talking about onkilonah.
- In the thirty-seventh year - remember it - I got to Blossoma. There, at that time was hunting Eskimo Aynafak. He said: «Head, I found the dugouts». - «What dugouts?» - «Old, - said - probably teenage». Chudit, I think, man. Well, what the old Zemlyanka in Wrangell? Here are some settled for ten years with a small.
Morning he took me to Cape Thomas. They turned the tundra and, indeed, stumbled upon the remains of a polupodzemnogo housing. Flat ground, pieces of moss logs protrude - polusgnivshie, mouldering. Kopnuli we have them. Things began to occur: the tip of the spear morzhovogo ribs, shoulder blade paddles, animal bones, bone spear. In short, the truth Aynafak said: Zemlyanka old, by type of Eskimo nynlyu. And yet another riddle. I found it beads. Blue color ... But beads - imported to the subject of Chukotka, there beads come in all likelihood, only with the arrival of the Russians. So who lived in the dugouts? Maybe onkilony?
- And where is your findings? - I asked.
- I do not know. Then they passed on a polar station. Soon I went to Moscow and on the fresh tracks published an article about this in the «problem of the Arctic». After the war, after the war - the new case. I often reminisced about the blue bead, so your hands are not reached. I do not know where she is now sunset. Look, maybe obryaschete ...

I recalled this conversation with Gromov, when we went around the Blossom, and a broad band of pure water came up to Thomas. Cape that folded out of the inclined layers aspidno-black shale, near the even more beautiful than from afar. But - alas! - Rookery it already broke, and alone in the Bering cormorants, about cristate heads on long sheyah, greeted us.

Thick fog covered the rocks. We landed on the gravel, and extend the slope of Mount Thomas, went on a quest. Find anything in this fog, it was wiser. But soon a cry Vladimir Shubin. On the hilly slopes, five hundred meters from the shore, we saw a rectangular area. Her girth split rotten logs. The same pieces of wood peep from under the sod in the center of the site. Perhaps it was the remains of collapsed roofs of dugouts.
But why Zemlyanka was in such a distance from the shore? Maybe with the time when people lived here, the sea retreated?
So it was a very long time, several centuries ago. The blue bead is likely to hit on the Chukotka not before the XVII century. A onkilony, according to legend, left the mainland in the first half of XVII century ... So, they could be. "