Isotopic Evidence of Long-Term Aquatic Resource Use at Tanada Creek, Alaska

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Archaeology of the Southern Yukon-Alaska Borderlands" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Salmon are considered a critical subsistence resource in the Copper River basin, Alaska both currently and traditionally. Salmon migrations typically occur during a relatively short period in the summer, and provide a reliable, abundant influx of food. The duration of their presence in the basin and history of use are not well understood. In the past, runs of anadromous fish were likely impacted by the presence of glacial dams which blocked the outlet of the Copper River and caused Glacial Lake Atna to occupy the basin until about 10,500 years ago. Nataeł Na’ is an archaeological site near a known salmon stream, Tanada Creek, in the upper Copper River basin. Hearths at the site were radiocarbon dated to before and approximately 6,000 years after the draining of Lake Atna. Sediments from these cooking features were subjected to the stable isotope analyses of carbon and nitrogen to examine past fish use and changes in diet during an environmentally transformative period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• The Archaeology of the Southern Yukon-Alaska Borderlands

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40257.0