"Return of the King" by James Havens

“Return of the King” features a battle-scarred Golden Eagle perched atop a high mountain cliff surveying its vast territory in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. This scene has been repeated for millennia although with different actors and connected through an unbroken link. 

Below the eagle within the cliff face, entombed for a millennium, is the fossil skull of his ancient predecessor - the“Northern Tyrant King,”  Nanuqsaurus h. 

Recent discoveries have found a link between certain lines of dinosaurs and birds. Nanuqsaurus h. (meaning Polar Bear Lizard in the local Alaskan Language) was a specie of tyranosaurid dinosaur currently found only in Alaska. Recent Nanuqsaurus h. track discoveries place the apex predator in Denali Park’s enchanting landscape and provide evidence confirming it too surveyed this ancient landscape from it’s throne of antiquity.

Once again the cycle is completed, the unwritten legacy fulfilled and the ancient whispers of the old guard are restored with the “Return of the King.”  

“Return of the King” represents the final piece in Volume One of the Alaskan Dinosaur Museum Collection by artist James Havens. This collection features full-scale, life-size, hand-crafted original works created in public spaces as educational outreach. These original works are currently featured in permanent museum collections around the world.

These works will also be featured in an upcoming large format art-process book currently in development.

Last years project titled "Northern Tyrant King" featured the Nanuqsaurus h. (meaning Polar Bear Lizard in the local Alaskan Language) was a specie of tyranosaurid dinosaur currently found only in Alaska. Recent Nanuqsaurus h. track discoveries place the apex predator in Denali Park’s enchanting landscape and provide evidence confirming it too surveyed this ancient landscape from it’s throne of antiquity. "Return of the King" is the conclusion to this story.

On Location Denali National Park. 

In the fall of 2019 artist James Havens made a personal trip alone to Denali National Park and Preserve to explore, gather references and understand the story of Alaska’s new unique tyrannosaur and the new avian king the Golden Eagle. 

On the “Return of the King” project we are also proud to be partnering with the Bird Treatment and Learning Center. The Bird Treatment and Learning Center is a Alaskan non-profit dedicated to present living science education that instills understanding and appreciation for wild birds and their habitats and to provide primary medical treatment, rehabilitative care, and potential release for sick and injured wild birds.  

  To learn more about Alaska’s Golden Eagles visit the Alaska Bird Treatment and Learning Center at www.birdtlc.org. We encourage you to visit their facility, support their mission, and if possible, donate.  e-mail Laura_atwood@birdtlc.org

Special thanks to Kelsie Abrams and the Burke Museum for providing me some amazing photo references for the portrayed Nanuqsaurus skull in the cliff face. Make sure to visit the Burke Museum and see their amazing dinosaur collection its definitely worth the trip! 

Fossil photos: copyright Kelsie Abrams & the Burke Museum 2022.