New Evidence for the Timing of Arctic Small Tool Tradition Coastal Settlement in Northwest Alaska

Part of the 611th Air Support Group Resources project

Author(s): Andrew Tremayne

Year: 2016

Summary

This paper presents the results of a survey of the oldest beach ridges located on Cape Espenberg in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Alaska. The goals were to locate and test Arctic Small Tool tradition (ASTt) sites to develop a coastal settlement chronology and to establish whether marine resources were exploited. At the outset of this project four ASTt sites were known at Cape Espenberg, two with associated radiocarbon dates. Upon completion, ten new ASTt sites with eleven radiocarbon dates were added to the record. Analysis of the radiocarbon dates indicate ASTt occupations at Cape Espenberg began at least 4,500 years ago and lasted a millennium. Comparisons among ASTt sites throughout Alaska suggest the coast was settled prior to the interior. The site designated KTZ-325 yielded the oldest securely dated evidence for sea mammal use in Northwest Alaska, supporting the hypothesis that ASTt people had a maritime economy in place at the start of their florescence in Alaska and beyond.

Cite this Record

New Evidence for the Timing of Arctic Small Tool Tradition Coastal Settlement in Northwest Alaska. Andrew Tremayne. 2016 ( tDAR id: 459085) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8459085

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Material
Basalt Adze • Basalt cobbles • Biface • Burin • Burin Spall. Flake Tool • Ceramic • Chert flake • Chipped Stone • Dating Sample • End Blade • Fauna • FCR • Fire Cracked Rock • Flakes • Hammerstone • Harpoon End Blade • Lava Rock • Linear Stamped • Microblade • Plainware Sherd • Pot Sherd • Projectile Point • Schist • Slate • Square-Based Projectile Point

Investigation Types
Data Recovery / Excavation • Historic Background Research • Methodology, Theory, or Synthesis • Site Evaluation / Testing

General
Alaska Regional Office • Archaeological Remains • arctic • Arctic Small Tool tradition • Denbigh Flint Complex • KTZ_328 • KTZ-096 • KTZ-122 • KTZ-124 • KTZ-126 • KTZ-133 • KTZ-141 • KTZ-142 • KTZ-143 • KTZ-164 • KTZ-323 • KTZ-325 • KTZ-326 • KTZ-327 • KTZ-329 • KTZ-330 • KTZ-331 • KTZ-332 • KTZ-333 • KTZ-334 • KTZ-348 • KTZ-349 • KTZ-350 • KTZ-351 • KTZ-352 • KTZ-353 • KTZ-354 • KTZ-355 • KTZ-356 • KTZ-357 • KTZ-358 • KTZ-359 • KTZ-360 • KTZ-361 • KTZ-362 • KTZ-363 • KTZ-364 • KTZ-365 • KTZ-366 • KTZ-367 • KTZ-368 • KTZ-369 • Lyatayet • National Park Service • Radio Carbon Dating • Small Tool Show More

Geographic Keywords
Alaska (State / Territory)

Temporal Keywords
Prehistoric

Spatial Coverage

min long: -170.016; min lat: 51.487 ; max long: -141.047; max lat: 68.567 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): 611th Air Support Group CRM Manager

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Tremayne_et_al_2016.pdf 1,000.87kb Mar 16, 2021 11:10:44 AM Confidential

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Contact(s): 611th Air Support Group CRM Manager