A resident of the Alaska Native village of Gambell recently uncovered a 1,000-year-old slab of mangtak, or whale blubber with skin.

Douglas Henry, 27, was digging for ivory to carve when he came upon the mangtak. He said it was "amazing" to learn that the blubber was so old.

Village leaders say the discovery is further proof of their whaling and subsistence traditions. They still dig holes in the ground to store food, the same manner in which the mangtak was found.

Further tests will be performed to compare the chemicals levels in the mangtak to modern blubber.

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Ancient blubber gives scientists something to chew on (AP 2/21)
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