Animals as Raw Material in Beringia: Insights from the Site of Swan Point CZ4B, Alaska

Abstract

We document the use of organic raw material in late Pleistocene eastern Beringia through the study of the site of Swan Point CZ4b, in central Alaska. CZ4b is attributed to the Dyuktai culture and dates to about 14,000 cal B.P. We interpret the occupation as a specialized workshop dedicated to the production and maintenance of organic-based tools following three lines of evidence: (1) limited on-site consumption of megafauna, (2) diversity of organic raw materials and techniques used in processing them, and (3) spatial demarcation of specialized activity areas. Specialized workshops are located in the vicinity of naturally occurring accumulations of mammoth bones in both western and eastern Beringia and suggest similarities in animal resource use across Beringia for the Dyuktai culture. Organic technology was a major portion of Dyuktai technology in eastern Beringia, and its lack of visibility in archaeological assemblages is probably due to taphonomic reasons. Changes in the availability of organic raw material throughout the Late Pleistocene offer some implications for the evolution of lithic technology and material culture.

Small mammals and paleovironmental context of the terminal pleistocene and early holocene human occupation of central Alaska

“…Preservation of small‐mammal remains (cranial and postcranial) was on average better than for large mammals. Taphonomic observations at the Swan Point site show a scarcity of bone breakage and a low impact of weathering and surface dissolution on the vole, lemming, and jumping mice assemblage, compared to the large‐mammal assemblage, while preservation of ground squirrel remains generally shows intermediate stages between those recorded for vole, lemming, and jumping mice remains, and those recorded for large‐mammal remains (reported in Lanoë & Holmes, ). At the Upward Sun River site, a high proportion of the vole, lemming, jumping mice, as well as ground squirrel remains recovered in the hearth/burial pit were combusted (reported in Potter et al, ).…”

“…At the Hollembaek site, 75.0% of the recorded vole and lemming specimens were recovered in an anthropogenic pit feature probably associated with trash management and that represents approximately 50% of the total area excavated at the site (Reuther & Lanoë, ). At the Swan Point site, all recorded vole and lemming specimens were recovered in an association, within Cultural Zone 4b, with two large hearths filled with mammoth ( Mammuthus primigenius ) ivory fragments and mammoth and other animal bones (Lanoë & Holmes, ). All recorded vole and lemming specimens at the Bachner and Cook sites, as well as 40.0% and 31.8% of those recorded at the sites of Hollembaek and Upward Sun River (excluding those recorded in the pit features), respectively, were recovered at the same stratigraphic level as archaeological occupations (Figure ).…”

“…Jumping mice specimens were generally recovered deep in the stratigraphy (Figure ). At the Swan Point site where they are most prevalent, jumping mice remains were recovered as complete skeletons including both cranial and postcranial remains, often in nests consisting of dry vegetation (Lanoë & Holmes, ). Like vole and lemming remains, jumping mice m1 and associated skeletons were primarily (90.5%) found in association with anthropogenic features.…”

“…or older (Figure ). In addition to burrows, ground squirrel skeletal remains were recovered at all sites except Keystone Dune (Lanoë & Holmes, ; Potter et al, ).…”

“…Five radiocarbon dates were obtained on small‐mammal remains or on materials associated with small‐mammal features from the Swan Point site (Holmes, VanderHoek, & Dilley, ; Lanoë & Holmes, ). A jumping mouse element recovered in a nest 80–85 cm below surface was dated to 5,590–5,330 cal B.P.…”