A New Radiocarbon Dated Record of Holocene Weapon Technology from The Trail Creek Cave Site, Seward Peninsula, Alaska

Summary

The Trail Creek Caves site on the Seward Peninsula in western Alaska was excavated by Helge Larsen in 1949-1950, and is among the most important archaeological sites in central Beringia. It contains a lengthy, rich and well-preserved paleoecological and archaeological record dating to the late Pleistocene, and the largest collections of mid-Holocene age organic tools from the region. However, poor chronological and stratigraphic controls have hampered the interpretive value of the site. New analyses of the collections at the Danish National Museum were recently conducted to refine the site’s age controls, validate Larsen’s artifact typology, and evaluate the stratigraphic integrity of the site. Direct radiocarbon dating of two dozen antler and bone tools provide new insights into the evolution of weapon technology and toolkit design, particularly for the PaleoInuit (Denbigh Flint Complex) period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22743