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.

THE MICROBLADE INDUSTRY FROM SWAN POINT CULTURAL ZONE 4b: TECHNOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS FROM THE EARLIEST HUMAN OCCUPATION IN ALASKA

“…Microblade technology (cores, tablets, and microblades) is primarily represented at the southern locus; however, microblade core tablets are also found at the northern locus, and burin technology (burin and burin spalls) is well represented at both loci. Refits of both artifacts and faunal elements support this assessment (Lanoë and Holmes 2016).

Figure 6.Spatial distribution of the stone tool assemblage from Swan Point Cultural Zone 4b.

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“…Although the analysis of CZ4b burin technology has not been completed at this time, it is clear that burins were essential for working hard material such as antler and mammoth tusks, and several forms were manufactured for specific applications, as indicated by patterns of wear, for example, thin dihedral types to groove or incise and thick transverse ones for scraping and carving (Holmes 2011). About 34% of burins had refitted spalls (Lanoë and Holmes 2016), and some of them had multiple rejuvenation/sharpening spalls refitted to a single burin. In one instance, at least five consecutive burin spalls were refitted together, although the actual burin is missing; in another example, up to four spalls were refitted to a single burin (Supplemental Figure 8c).…”

“…The site's function as a specialized workshop for the production of composite (organic plus lithic) weaponry (microblades inset into slotted osseous projectile points) has been put forward previously (Gómez Coutouly 2011a; Hirasawa and Holmes 2016; Holmes 2011; Lanoë and Holmes 2016). The CZ4b fauna (Lanoë and Holmes 2016) along with lithic artifacts corroborate this specialized activity.…”

“…Thirteen accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14 C dates currently exist for CZ4b (Figure 2; Supplemental Table 1). The oldest date may correspond to the acquisition of scavenged subfossil ivory and could be several centuries older than the actual occupation (Lanoë and Holmes 2016). Fauna recovered from CZ4b suggest that large herbivores (mammoths, horses, bison, and caribou) along with lagomorphs and birds were hunted at this site (Lanoë and Holmes 2016).…”

“…The oldest date may correspond to the acquisition of scavenged subfossil ivory and could be several centuries older than the actual occupation (Lanoë and Holmes 2016). Fauna recovered from CZ4b suggest that large herbivores (mammoths, horses, bison, and caribou) along with lagomorphs and birds were hunted at this site (Lanoë and Holmes 2016).

Figure 1.Location of Swan Point in the Tanana Valley, Central Alaska.

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