EXPLORING THE DEVELOPMENT AND SPREAD OF ARCTIC MARITIME TRADITIONS THROUGH BAYESIAN RADIOCARBON ANALYSIS

Summary

To address the question of why arctic maritime traditions developed and spread in the North American Arctic during the mid- to late Holocene, we applied Bayesian analysis to a large radiocarbon database (n = 1202) for northwest Alaska and the Bering Strait region. We used Oxcal to create and analyze demographic patterns in summed probability distributions. We also used Bayesian calibration models to clarify the probable timings and durations of cultural phases and key transitions in the development of arctic maritime adaptations. Our analysis indicates that northern Alaskan populations grew significantly over the last 4,500 years. Population growth was punctuated by at least two periods of population decline beginning around 1000 cal B.P. and again around 550 cal B.P. Significant population growth in the western Arctic predates the intensification of marine resource procurement by at least 1,200 years, suggesting that population growth was a possible driver for increased reliance on marine resources. This analysis establishes a strong chronological framework for future study of the development and spread of maritime adaptations in the Arctic and beyond.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 13267