po on ▁heads ▁are ▁smaller ▁and ▁simpler ▁in ▁design . ▁ ▁Pre histor ic ▁and ▁early ▁historic ▁occup ations ▁of ▁St . ▁Lawrence ▁Island ▁were ▁never ▁permanent , ▁with ▁periods ▁of ▁abandon ment ▁and ▁re occupation ▁depending ▁on ▁resource ▁avail ability ▁and ▁changes ▁in ▁weather ▁patterns . ▁Fam ine ▁was ▁common , ▁as ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁Harris ▁lines ▁and ▁en am el ▁hyp op las ia ▁in ▁human ▁ske let ons . ▁Tra vel ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁main land ▁was ▁common ▁during ▁calm ▁weather , ▁so ▁the ▁island ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁hunting ▁base , ▁and ▁occupation ▁sites ▁were ▁re - used ▁period ically ▁rather ▁than ▁perman ently ▁occupied . ▁ ▁Major ▁arch ae ology ▁sites ▁at ▁G amb ell ▁and ▁Sav o ong a ▁( K uk ul ik ) ▁were ▁exc av ated ▁by ▁Otto ▁Ge ist ▁and ▁I var ▁Sk ar land ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Al aska ▁Fair b anks . ▁Col lections ▁from ▁these ▁exc av ations ▁are ▁cur ated ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Al aska ▁Museum ▁on ▁the ▁U AF ▁campus . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁island ▁was ▁called ▁S iv u qa q ▁by ▁the ▁Y up ik ▁who ▁lived ▁there . ▁It ▁was ▁visited ▁by ▁Russian / Dan ish ▁expl orer ▁Vit us ▁Ber ing ▁on ▁St . ▁Lawrence ' s ▁Day , ▁August ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 7 2 8 , ▁and ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁his ▁visit . ▁The ▁island ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁place ▁in ▁Al aska ▁known