Affiliate Research Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. My research has concentrated on the archaeology and paleoecology of the sub-arctic
In Beringia, as in many other parts of the world, stone tools are the main diagnostic cultural ar... more In Beringia, as in many other parts of the world, stone tools are the main diagnostic cultural artifact for understanding prehistoric societies. The analysis of lithic assemblages is the basis for establishing connections between sites and techno-complexes. Through highlighting major technological trends, archaeologists are able to interpret processes such as cultural continuity and migrations. Here we present a fine-grained analysis of two assemblages to perceive in detail the individuals behind the lithic productions, more specifically apprentice knappers. Although recognition of apprenticeship in a prehistoric context is not new, this is the first such study for Alaska and Beringia. We focus on two distinct assemblages with microblade technology: the late Pleistocene component of Swan Point CZ4b (Tanana valley) and the early Holocene component of Little Panguingue Creek C2 (Nenana valley), both in central Alaska.
Swan Point in central Alaska contains the oldest recognized human occupation in Alaska (Cultural ... more Swan Point in central Alaska contains the oldest recognized human occupation in Alaska (Cultural Zone 4b [CZ4b]), dating to circa 14,000 cal BP. This component consists of a microblade and burin industry with clear technological ties to the Siberian Upper Paleolithic Diuktai Culture. Through the systematic use of the Yubetsu method for the production of microblades, Swan Point is technologically more similar to Siberian microblade sites than to later-age (Denali complex) microblade sites in Alaska. The Yubetsu method is the hallmark of the Diuktai Culture, and in Alaska, Swan Point CZ4b is the only component with systematic production of microblades using the Yubetsu method. Other late Pleistocene and Holocene microblade sites in Alaska have an industry based on Campus-style, conical, or tabular microblade cores. Analysis of the collection furthers our understanding of how CZ4b relates to previous Siberian Diuktai-related assemblages and to later Alaskan Denali-related sites. We interpret the CZ4b component as representing a brief single event that has major cultural and technological implications for the early colonization process of North America. Swan Point, dans la région centrale de l'Alaska, contient la plus ancienne occupation humaine en Alaska (Zone Culturelle 4b [CZ4b]) datant de circa 14 000 cal BP. Cette composante est constituée d'une industrie à lamelle et de burins avec de claires parentés technologiques avec la Culture de Dyuktaï du Paléolithique supérieur sibérien. Grâce à l'utilisation systématique de la méthode Yubetsu pour la production de lamelles, Swan Point est technologiquement plus proche des sites à lamelles de Sibérie que des sites à lamelles d'Alaska (complexe Dénali) qui suivront. La méthode de Yubetsu est la signature de la Culture de Dyuktaï, alors qu'en Alaska, Swan Point CZ4b est le seul site avec une production systématique de lamelles en utilisant la méthode Yubetsu. En effet, d'autres sites à lamelles du Pléistocène supérieur et de l'Holocène en Alaska ont une industrie basée sur des nucléus à lamelles de type Campus, coniques ou tabulaires. L'analyse de la collection peut ainsi nous aider à comprendre comment ce site se rapporte aux plus anciens assemblages liés à Dyuktaï en Sibérie et à ceux plus tardifs des sites Dénali en Alaska. Nous interprétons la composante CZ4b comme un événement unique de courte durée, ce qui a des implications culturelles et technologiques majeures pour le peuplement de l'Amérique du Nord.
We contribute to the understanding of megafauna extinction and human dispersal in subarctic easte... more We contribute to the understanding of megafauna extinction and human dispersal in subarctic eastern Beringia by focusing on changes in the trophic dynamics of the large mammal community as well as the ecological role of humans as a predator and competitor. We reconstruct habitat use by megafauna and humans throughout the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary based on zooarchaeological data and stable isotope ratios of collagen. Our results are consistent with habitat heterogeneity and availability being important factors in the changing abundance of large herbivores. We argue that an increase in herbivore diversity and biomass at the beginning of the Bølling-Allerød interstadial and a relative lack of competitors favored the initial human colonization of subarctic eastern Beringia. As herbivore resources dwindled later in the Late Glacial, people increasingly relied on bison and wapiti. By efficiently extracting some of the highest-ranked resources in the landscape, people are likely to have contributed to the trophic displacement or regional extirpation of other large predators. The ecological patterns that we observe in subarctic eastern Beringia are consistent with a mixture of both top-down and bottom-up controls over biotic turnover.
Recent archaeological and paleoecological work along both interior and coastal routes for early c... more Recent archaeological and paleoecological work along both interior and coastal routes for early coloni-zation of the New World has suggested that the interior route was impossible, leaving the coastal route as the only colonization route taken by Clovis ancestors. We review the geological, paleoecological, and archaeological record for Eastern Beringia and adjacent areas. Spatio-temporal patterning of known sites and evaluation of early interior and coastal route radiocarbon, luminescence, and cosmogenic dating, along with new analyses of obsidian distribution and adaptive strategies of early Beringians, indicate this assessment is premature and the interior route remains a viable hypothesis.
Paleoamerica: A journal of early human migration and dispersal, 2018
This report introduces the newly discovered Holzman South site with Pleistocene-aged components d... more This report introduces the newly discovered Holzman South site with Pleistocene-aged components dated prior to the appearance of Clovis in North America. The site contains evidence for mammoth–human interaction, hearth activity areas, marrow extraction, and localized stone utilization in the middle Tanana Valley of Alaska, the northern gateway of the interior Canadian Ice Free Corridor.
Microblades are one of the stone tools that spread toward the northeast with wide range human mig... more Microblades are one of the stone tools that spread toward the northeast with wide range human migration after the Last Glacial Maximum in Beringia, and are key to understanding the first migrants to the New World. The Yubetsu method was one of the most widely spread techniques in western Beringia. In Eastern Beringia, Swan Point is the only archaeological site bearing microcores from the East Beringian tradition phase I (here after EBt-I) layer which were produced by the Yubetsu method. There are three archaeological complexes in interior Alaska following EBt-I: the Nenana, Chindadn, and Denali. The former two complexes bear distinctive Chindadn points and the latter has Campus type microcores. Cultural continuity of the local complexes has been argued for decades in discussing the peopling of the Americas. However, because the distinctive Yubetsu microcore is only found at the Swan Point site, discussing cultural connection among these complexes based on microcores is difficult. The Chindadn point was also considered to have roots in the Old World, but no candidate yet has been confirmed. In contrast, large numbers of microblades have been found in EBt-I, Chindadn and Denali complexes, and also in the Northern Archaic tradition, although their production methods are different. In this study we use microblades from EBt-I and Northern Archaic tradition components at Swan Point to elucidate co-occurrence of microcore technological and microblade morphological changes. Results from this study show continuous production of microblades for slotted osseous point weaponry was stable through time. Given that cultural change occurred, the results provide a framework to discuss the continuity of hunting weapon technology and its relationship with hunting prey, indirectly, and with zooarchaeological studies.
In the past decade, the archaeological record of eastern interior Beringia has seen a transformat... more In the past decade, the archaeological record of eastern interior Beringia has seen a transformation in our understanding of the earliest foragers. This presentation focuses on new sites, data, and interpretations of technology and economy from the region, including emerging models of landscape use and settlement systems.
Patterns of technological continuity and discontinuity from adjacent regions are evaluated. Pre– and post–Younger Dryas occupations can be distinguished in eastern Beringia, although the signatures of these occupations relate more to changes in behavioral organization and land use than to stylistic changes in technology.
Intrasite and intersite patterning in lithic assemblages appears to reflect seasonal or activity-specific variation. Regional variation (e.g., differences between interior and north Alaskan assemblages) may reflect colonization patterns on a larger scale, including distinct populations and timing/direction of colonization, though with some inter-regional technological linkages (e.g., microblade technology). Clovis ancestors may be present in Beringia, but they are not easily distinguished through material culture patterns. Faunal analyses
presented here indicate subsistence economic change through time, including (1) relatively broad diet
breadth in the Bølling-Allerød period, (2) increased diet breadth during the Younger Dryas, and (3) narrowing
diet breadth during the post-Younger Dryas/early-Holocene period. This appears to be a Beringia-wide
phenomenon that reflects broad effects of climate change and possibly episodic colonization. These data
are used to evaluate technological and economic adaptations relating to the initial colonization of Beringia
and subsequent expansion into different ecological niches during the Younger Dryas.
Interpretation of the Nogahabara I assemblage as a Late Pleistocene abandoned toolkit rests prima... more Interpretation of the Nogahabara I assemblage as a Late Pleistocene abandoned toolkit rests primarily on the premise of a single brief occupation at the site. The limited contextual data presented do not discount a palimpsest of noncontemporaneous assemblages in secondary contexts associated with a lag deposit. Spatial patterning, lithic assemblage patterning, artifact surface alteration, and disparate radiocarbon dates at the site, as well as geological data from the Nogahabara and nearby Kobuk dunes, indicate that the cultural material was subjected to post-depositional disturbance. Alternate hypotheses of site formation and avenues for testing these hypotheses are considered.
From the Yenisei to the Yukon: Interpreting Lithic Assemblage Variability in Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene Beringia, edited by Ted Goebel and Ian Buvit, pp. 179-191. Texas A & M University Press, College Station., 2011
It is difficult to place archaeological material from mid-to-late Holocene sites in interior Alas... more It is difficult to place archaeological material from mid-to-late Holocene sites in interior Alaska and adjacent Yukon into coherent chronological classification schemes that have broad acceptance and utility. Workman’s (1978) synthesis of Southwest Yukon archaeology is an exception, and is still a touchstone after thirty years. A “vague and variable” Northern Archaic tradition is often evoked for Alaskan notched point assemblages with and without microblades. “Northern Archaic” has become a catchall term for numerous artifact collections found between Anderson’s Northwest Alaska and Workman’s Southwest Yukon sequences. An overarching framework, neutral to current terminology, is proposed to accommodate local and regional classifications. Data from Lake Minchumina, Swan Point, and other interior sites form the basis for the Taiga period that is divided into early, middle, and late cultural periods.
The East Beringian tradition is now divided into four phases: (1) Swan Point Diuktai (CZ-4b), dom... more The East Beringian tradition is now divided into four phases: (1) Swan Point Diuktai (CZ-4b), dominated by microblade/burin technology, use of ivory and antler, and evidence of hunting mammoth, horse, bison, and elk; (2) CZ-4a dates between 13,520 and13,110 calBP and contains diminutive lanceolate biface forms unlike Chindadn/Nenana bifaces; and Chindadn/Nenana, primarily defined by distinct bifacial point/knife technology and reliance on birds, small mammals, and fish, has been subdivided into (3) CZ-3b and (4) CZ-3a on the basis of differences in bifacial morphology. These four components are delineated by radiocarbon dates, stratigraphy, and artifact spatial patterns. This revised model may prove useful for the circa 14,200 to 11,600 calBP period in central Alaska.
In Beringia, as in many other parts of the world, stone tools are the main diagnostic cultural ar... more In Beringia, as in many other parts of the world, stone tools are the main diagnostic cultural artifact for understanding prehistoric societies. The analysis of lithic assemblages is the basis for establishing connections between sites and techno-complexes. Through highlighting major technological trends, archaeologists are able to interpret processes such as cultural continuity and migrations. Here we present a fine-grained analysis of two assemblages to perceive in detail the individuals behind the lithic productions, more specifically apprentice knappers. Although recognition of apprenticeship in a prehistoric context is not new, this is the first such study for Alaska and Beringia. We focus on two distinct assemblages with microblade technology: the late Pleistocene component of Swan Point CZ4b (Tanana valley) and the early Holocene component of Little Panguingue Creek C2 (Nenana valley), both in central Alaska.
Swan Point in central Alaska contains the oldest recognized human occupation in Alaska (Cultural ... more Swan Point in central Alaska contains the oldest recognized human occupation in Alaska (Cultural Zone 4b [CZ4b]), dating to circa 14,000 cal BP. This component consists of a microblade and burin industry with clear technological ties to the Siberian Upper Paleolithic Diuktai Culture. Through the systematic use of the Yubetsu method for the production of microblades, Swan Point is technologically more similar to Siberian microblade sites than to later-age (Denali complex) microblade sites in Alaska. The Yubetsu method is the hallmark of the Diuktai Culture, and in Alaska, Swan Point CZ4b is the only component with systematic production of microblades using the Yubetsu method. Other late Pleistocene and Holocene microblade sites in Alaska have an industry based on Campus-style, conical, or tabular microblade cores. Analysis of the collection furthers our understanding of how CZ4b relates to previous Siberian Diuktai-related assemblages and to later Alaskan Denali-related sites. We interpret the CZ4b component as representing a brief single event that has major cultural and technological implications for the early colonization process of North America. Swan Point, dans la région centrale de l'Alaska, contient la plus ancienne occupation humaine en Alaska (Zone Culturelle 4b [CZ4b]) datant de circa 14 000 cal BP. Cette composante est constituée d'une industrie à lamelle et de burins avec de claires parentés technologiques avec la Culture de Dyuktaï du Paléolithique supérieur sibérien. Grâce à l'utilisation systématique de la méthode Yubetsu pour la production de lamelles, Swan Point est technologiquement plus proche des sites à lamelles de Sibérie que des sites à lamelles d'Alaska (complexe Dénali) qui suivront. La méthode de Yubetsu est la signature de la Culture de Dyuktaï, alors qu'en Alaska, Swan Point CZ4b est le seul site avec une production systématique de lamelles en utilisant la méthode Yubetsu. En effet, d'autres sites à lamelles du Pléistocène supérieur et de l'Holocène en Alaska ont une industrie basée sur des nucléus à lamelles de type Campus, coniques ou tabulaires. L'analyse de la collection peut ainsi nous aider à comprendre comment ce site se rapporte aux plus anciens assemblages liés à Dyuktaï en Sibérie et à ceux plus tardifs des sites Dénali en Alaska. Nous interprétons la composante CZ4b comme un événement unique de courte durée, ce qui a des implications culturelles et technologiques majeures pour le peuplement de l'Amérique du Nord.
We contribute to the understanding of megafauna extinction and human dispersal in subarctic easte... more We contribute to the understanding of megafauna extinction and human dispersal in subarctic eastern Beringia by focusing on changes in the trophic dynamics of the large mammal community as well as the ecological role of humans as a predator and competitor. We reconstruct habitat use by megafauna and humans throughout the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary based on zooarchaeological data and stable isotope ratios of collagen. Our results are consistent with habitat heterogeneity and availability being important factors in the changing abundance of large herbivores. We argue that an increase in herbivore diversity and biomass at the beginning of the Bølling-Allerød interstadial and a relative lack of competitors favored the initial human colonization of subarctic eastern Beringia. As herbivore resources dwindled later in the Late Glacial, people increasingly relied on bison and wapiti. By efficiently extracting some of the highest-ranked resources in the landscape, people are likely to have contributed to the trophic displacement or regional extirpation of other large predators. The ecological patterns that we observe in subarctic eastern Beringia are consistent with a mixture of both top-down and bottom-up controls over biotic turnover.
Recent archaeological and paleoecological work along both interior and coastal routes for early c... more Recent archaeological and paleoecological work along both interior and coastal routes for early coloni-zation of the New World has suggested that the interior route was impossible, leaving the coastal route as the only colonization route taken by Clovis ancestors. We review the geological, paleoecological, and archaeological record for Eastern Beringia and adjacent areas. Spatio-temporal patterning of known sites and evaluation of early interior and coastal route radiocarbon, luminescence, and cosmogenic dating, along with new analyses of obsidian distribution and adaptive strategies of early Beringians, indicate this assessment is premature and the interior route remains a viable hypothesis.
Paleoamerica: A journal of early human migration and dispersal, 2018
This report introduces the newly discovered Holzman South site with Pleistocene-aged components d... more This report introduces the newly discovered Holzman South site with Pleistocene-aged components dated prior to the appearance of Clovis in North America. The site contains evidence for mammoth–human interaction, hearth activity areas, marrow extraction, and localized stone utilization in the middle Tanana Valley of Alaska, the northern gateway of the interior Canadian Ice Free Corridor.
Microblades are one of the stone tools that spread toward the northeast with wide range human mig... more Microblades are one of the stone tools that spread toward the northeast with wide range human migration after the Last Glacial Maximum in Beringia, and are key to understanding the first migrants to the New World. The Yubetsu method was one of the most widely spread techniques in western Beringia. In Eastern Beringia, Swan Point is the only archaeological site bearing microcores from the East Beringian tradition phase I (here after EBt-I) layer which were produced by the Yubetsu method. There are three archaeological complexes in interior Alaska following EBt-I: the Nenana, Chindadn, and Denali. The former two complexes bear distinctive Chindadn points and the latter has Campus type microcores. Cultural continuity of the local complexes has been argued for decades in discussing the peopling of the Americas. However, because the distinctive Yubetsu microcore is only found at the Swan Point site, discussing cultural connection among these complexes based on microcores is difficult. The Chindadn point was also considered to have roots in the Old World, but no candidate yet has been confirmed. In contrast, large numbers of microblades have been found in EBt-I, Chindadn and Denali complexes, and also in the Northern Archaic tradition, although their production methods are different. In this study we use microblades from EBt-I and Northern Archaic tradition components at Swan Point to elucidate co-occurrence of microcore technological and microblade morphological changes. Results from this study show continuous production of microblades for slotted osseous point weaponry was stable through time. Given that cultural change occurred, the results provide a framework to discuss the continuity of hunting weapon technology and its relationship with hunting prey, indirectly, and with zooarchaeological studies.
In the past decade, the archaeological record of eastern interior Beringia has seen a transformat... more In the past decade, the archaeological record of eastern interior Beringia has seen a transformation in our understanding of the earliest foragers. This presentation focuses on new sites, data, and interpretations of technology and economy from the region, including emerging models of landscape use and settlement systems.
Patterns of technological continuity and discontinuity from adjacent regions are evaluated. Pre– and post–Younger Dryas occupations can be distinguished in eastern Beringia, although the signatures of these occupations relate more to changes in behavioral organization and land use than to stylistic changes in technology.
Intrasite and intersite patterning in lithic assemblages appears to reflect seasonal or activity-specific variation. Regional variation (e.g., differences between interior and north Alaskan assemblages) may reflect colonization patterns on a larger scale, including distinct populations and timing/direction of colonization, though with some inter-regional technological linkages (e.g., microblade technology). Clovis ancestors may be present in Beringia, but they are not easily distinguished through material culture patterns. Faunal analyses
presented here indicate subsistence economic change through time, including (1) relatively broad diet
breadth in the Bølling-Allerød period, (2) increased diet breadth during the Younger Dryas, and (3) narrowing
diet breadth during the post-Younger Dryas/early-Holocene period. This appears to be a Beringia-wide
phenomenon that reflects broad effects of climate change and possibly episodic colonization. These data
are used to evaluate technological and economic adaptations relating to the initial colonization of Beringia
and subsequent expansion into different ecological niches during the Younger Dryas.
Interpretation of the Nogahabara I assemblage as a Late Pleistocene abandoned toolkit rests prima... more Interpretation of the Nogahabara I assemblage as a Late Pleistocene abandoned toolkit rests primarily on the premise of a single brief occupation at the site. The limited contextual data presented do not discount a palimpsest of noncontemporaneous assemblages in secondary contexts associated with a lag deposit. Spatial patterning, lithic assemblage patterning, artifact surface alteration, and disparate radiocarbon dates at the site, as well as geological data from the Nogahabara and nearby Kobuk dunes, indicate that the cultural material was subjected to post-depositional disturbance. Alternate hypotheses of site formation and avenues for testing these hypotheses are considered.
From the Yenisei to the Yukon: Interpreting Lithic Assemblage Variability in Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene Beringia, edited by Ted Goebel and Ian Buvit, pp. 179-191. Texas A & M University Press, College Station., 2011
It is difficult to place archaeological material from mid-to-late Holocene sites in interior Alas... more It is difficult to place archaeological material from mid-to-late Holocene sites in interior Alaska and adjacent Yukon into coherent chronological classification schemes that have broad acceptance and utility. Workman’s (1978) synthesis of Southwest Yukon archaeology is an exception, and is still a touchstone after thirty years. A “vague and variable” Northern Archaic tradition is often evoked for Alaskan notched point assemblages with and without microblades. “Northern Archaic” has become a catchall term for numerous artifact collections found between Anderson’s Northwest Alaska and Workman’s Southwest Yukon sequences. An overarching framework, neutral to current terminology, is proposed to accommodate local and regional classifications. Data from Lake Minchumina, Swan Point, and other interior sites form the basis for the Taiga period that is divided into early, middle, and late cultural periods.
The East Beringian tradition is now divided into four phases: (1) Swan Point Diuktai (CZ-4b), dom... more The East Beringian tradition is now divided into four phases: (1) Swan Point Diuktai (CZ-4b), dominated by microblade/burin technology, use of ivory and antler, and evidence of hunting mammoth, horse, bison, and elk; (2) CZ-4a dates between 13,520 and13,110 calBP and contains diminutive lanceolate biface forms unlike Chindadn/Nenana bifaces; and Chindadn/Nenana, primarily defined by distinct bifacial point/knife technology and reliance on birds, small mammals, and fish, has been subdivided into (3) CZ-3b and (4) CZ-3a on the basis of differences in bifacial morphology. These four components are delineated by radiocarbon dates, stratigraphy, and artifact spatial patterns. This revised model may prove useful for the circa 14,200 to 11,600 calBP period in central Alaska.
Already have a field school but looking for something more? Consider the Advanced Archaeological ... more Already have a field school but looking for something more? Consider the Advanced Archaeological Field Methods in AK course. Graduate & seniors with previous field experiences are especially encouraged to apply. Experience a vast wilderness, participate in ongoing research, and make new discoveries. Research will focus on the newly discovered Holzman site along Shaw Creek where large mammal bones, a mammoth tusk, and stone tools have been found dating back to the end of the last Ice Age. Join our research team in the scenic Tanana Valley as we investigate the question, who were the first Alaskans?
Already had a field school but looking for more experience? The Adelphi University Department of ... more Already had a field school but looking for more experience? The Adelphi University Department of Anthropology will initiate a summer 2016 archaeological field school in reconnaissance, survey, and site excavations at the recently discovered Holzman site in the Shaw Creek region of the Tanana Valley, Interior Alaska. Initial test excavations reveal a series of late Pleistocene occupations containing large mammal fauna, mammoth ivory fragments, and stone tools in deeply buried deposits. The Holzman site lies between the previously excavated Broken Mammoth and Mead archaeological sites and is near the Swan Point site each dated to the end of the Pleistocene. Advanced field school students can participate in archaeological research and excavation on a First Americans site!
This study explores various testing techniques’ ability to identify activity areas across deeply ... more This study explores various testing techniques’ ability to identify activity areas across deeply stratified, open air archaeological sites. To determine the efficacy of different site testing techniques, a systematic ground penetrating radar and auger survey was completed at three sites in central Alaska: Swan Point, Bachner, and Niidhaayh Na’. The results show that both ground penetrating radar and auger survey can indicate subsurface geology, important for sites without exposed vertical deposits. Additionally, systematic auger surveys can be used to identify activity areas at large sites and in components up to 4 m below surface prior to full-scale excavation. This can help archaeologists identify earlier archaeological components and target specific areas that are directly related to their research questions while preserving the rest of the site for future investigations. Compared to traditional shovel testing, auger surveys provide a consistent, efficient, and rigorous method for assessing buried cultural remains.
During the Fall of 1994 and Spring of 1995, the Office of History and Archaeology (OHA), Alaska D... more During the Fall of 1994 and Spring of 1995, the Office of History and Archaeology (OHA), Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, conducted a cultural resources reconnaissance of Elmendorf Air Force Base (EAFB), which is adjacent to Anchorage, Alaska. The work, funded by the U.S. Air Force, was performed under a Cooperative Agreement (NPS No. CA 9700-4-9036) between OHA and the Alaska Regional Office of the U.S. National Park Service. In accordance with the National Park Service Scope of Work, OHA surveyed areas within Elmendorf Air Force Base that were judged most likely to yield archaeological remains. This was accomplished through the stratification of 13,000 acres on Elmendorf Air Force Base into areas of high, medium, and low probability for locating archaeological remains. This report details this survey.
Uploads
Articles
localized stone utilization in the middle Tanana Valley of Alaska, the northern gateway of the interior Canadian Ice Free Corridor.
Patterns of technological continuity and discontinuity from adjacent regions are evaluated. Pre– and post–Younger Dryas occupations can be distinguished in eastern Beringia, although the signatures of these occupations relate more to changes in behavioral organization and land use than to stylistic changes in technology.
Intrasite and intersite patterning in lithic assemblages appears to reflect seasonal or activity-specific variation. Regional variation (e.g., differences between interior and north Alaskan assemblages) may reflect colonization patterns on a larger scale, including distinct populations and timing/direction of colonization, though with some inter-regional technological linkages (e.g., microblade technology). Clovis ancestors may be present in Beringia, but they are not easily distinguished through material culture patterns. Faunal analyses
presented here indicate subsistence economic change through time, including (1) relatively broad diet
breadth in the Bølling-Allerød period, (2) increased diet breadth during the Younger Dryas, and (3) narrowing
diet breadth during the post-Younger Dryas/early-Holocene period. This appears to be a Beringia-wide
phenomenon that reflects broad effects of climate change and possibly episodic colonization. These data
are used to evaluate technological and economic adaptations relating to the initial colonization of Beringia
and subsequent expansion into different ecological niches during the Younger Dryas.
Posters
localized stone utilization in the middle Tanana Valley of Alaska, the northern gateway of the interior Canadian Ice Free Corridor.
Patterns of technological continuity and discontinuity from adjacent regions are evaluated. Pre– and post–Younger Dryas occupations can be distinguished in eastern Beringia, although the signatures of these occupations relate more to changes in behavioral organization and land use than to stylistic changes in technology.
Intrasite and intersite patterning in lithic assemblages appears to reflect seasonal or activity-specific variation. Regional variation (e.g., differences between interior and north Alaskan assemblages) may reflect colonization patterns on a larger scale, including distinct populations and timing/direction of colonization, though with some inter-regional technological linkages (e.g., microblade technology). Clovis ancestors may be present in Beringia, but they are not easily distinguished through material culture patterns. Faunal analyses
presented here indicate subsistence economic change through time, including (1) relatively broad diet
breadth in the Bølling-Allerød period, (2) increased diet breadth during the Younger Dryas, and (3) narrowing
diet breadth during the post-Younger Dryas/early-Holocene period. This appears to be a Beringia-wide
phenomenon that reflects broad effects of climate change and possibly episodic colonization. These data
are used to evaluate technological and economic adaptations relating to the initial colonization of Beringia
and subsequent expansion into different ecological niches during the Younger Dryas.