Zooarchaeological Analysis of Alaskan Goldrush Sites

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The current accumulation of archaeological investigations at far-north Alaskan Goldrush sites either completely lack or severely underrepresent the zooarchaeological components at these sites. This data is vital and adds context to past and future archaeological investigations by enabling more accurate and inclusive interpretations of life in the mining-related settlements of the far north. This research is an analysis of previously unidentified and partially identified faunal assemblages from Goldrush-era archaeological sites in interior Alaska. These sites include Coldfoot, Barnette Street (Fairbanks), Tofty, Wiseman, Eagle, and Uhler Creek Cabin. I use the data I generate from the analyses of these diverse sites and site types to determine how animals were being utilized by the residents of differing mining-related settlements. By comparing sites of different sizes and purposes I identify how domesticated and wild animals were differentially utilized in various places and circumstances. This complements analyses previously completed on trade goods at these historical sites while informing upon localized (wild) resource use. A formal study of these dynamics has not been completed leaving a large gap in our understanding of human-environmental interaction in far north mining-related settlements.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35738.0