Mobility and Resource Exploitation during the Late Glacial in the Shaw Creek Flats (Eastern Beringia)

Summary

The colonization of Beringia during the Late Glacial period (about 14,500-11,700 cal. B.P.) represents the first permanent settlement of the subarctic and provided a pathway to the colonization of North America. The Shaw Creek Flats and nearby middle Tanana river, in central Alaska, constitute the densest area of identified Late Glacial sites; these are generally characterized by low-density occupations and diverse technological complexes. Recent research suggests some of these sites were specialized, short-lived locations dedicated to a single or few activities. Based on the spatial association of artifacts and faunal remains, the site of Swan Point CZ4b is interpreted as a workshop related to the production of composite tools, and the site of Keystone Dune is interpreted as a camp related to hunting activities. Specialized sites can be seen as logistical forays oriented towards the exploitation of specific resources within a larger economic landscape. Logistical sites, along with other, more residential sites, provide insight as to the strategies of landscape use employed by Beringian people in the Shaw Creek Flats.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14481