Holocene Human Occupation of the Central Alaska Peninsula

Barton, Loukas; Shirar, Scott; Jordan, James W.

doi:10.1017/rdc.2018.2

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Similarly, our goal is to understand the occupation on the Four Mountains within the context of the geologic events (volcanic eruptions and tsunamis), long-term ecosystem and climate fluctuations, and prehistoric subsistence strategies to look at how the IFM shaped resilience and vulnerability. Similar to the research by Barton et al (2018) in the central Alaska Peninsula, in this article, we focus on the occupation history evidenced by the stratigraphic and radiocarbon evidence to understand human resilience or vulnerability through time in the IFM in the face of volcanic eruptions (Okuno et al, 2017), site formation processes (Persico et al, 2018), climatic changes (research which is ongoing, but see Savinetsky et al [2010]), and tsunamis (see Griswold et al, 2018), among other environmental/human relationships.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…The archaeological record of the IFM reveals the sustainability and resilience of the Unangax̂ people to environmental change during the four millennia prior to the arrival of Russians into the Aleutian chain. Tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are known to affect other archaeological sites (see VanderHoek and Myron, 2004; Losey, 2005; Ludwin et al, 2005, 2007; Barton et al, 2018). We find no evidence that paleotsunamis affected either the Tana Aguna or the Ulyagan village in prehistory, and perhaps their location atop a cliff of unconsolidated sediment buffered villages from unusual waves.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Human resilience and resettlement among the Islands of Four Mountains, Aleutians, Alaska

Hatfield¹,

Nicolaysen

West

et al. 2019

Quat. res.

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Combined archaeological, ecological, and geologic research on Chuginadak and Carlisle Islands in the Islands of Four Mountains (IFM) probed questions about the sustainability of human settlements over the past 4000 years in the face of geologic, ecological, and social hazards. We use a human ecodynamics approach to frame the investigation and present original archaeological evidence from this poorly known region of the remote Aleutian Islands. Several village sites occupied during the last four millennia are clustered in locations that were not damaged by earthquake-induced tsunamis; however, new geologic evidence indicates that at least one volcanic eruption forced humans to abandon one or more prehistoric village sites. Combined archaeological, ecological, and geologic analyses demonstrate resilient Unangax̂ occupations of the IFM through long-term climate change as well as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions with occasional community vulnerability to volcanic eruptions.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human resilience and resettlement among the Islands of Four Mountains, Aleutians, Alaska

Hatfield¹,

Nicolaysen

West

et al. 2019

Quat. res.

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“…Despite widespread interest and an extensive body of literature and observations on the subject, biologists and paleoecologists continue to discuss when salmon runs in this and other areas became stable and predictable (Barton et al, 2018; Finney et al, 2000; Finney et al, 2002; Finney et al, 2010; Gregory‐Eaves et al, 2003; Gregory‐Eaves et al, 2009; Milner et al, 2000; Milner & Bailey, 1989; Rogers et al, 2013). Archaeological data have contributed to understanding this development in Pacific Northwest salmon, providing a clear “no later than date” on the basis of when and where people first turned their attention to salmon.…”

Section: Archaeological Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

How ancestral subsistence strategies solve salmon starvation and the “protein problem” of Pacific Rim resources

Tushingham

Barton

Bettinger

2021

American J Phys Anthropol

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This article provides a theoretical treatment of hunter-gatherer diet and physiology.Through a synthesis of nutritional studies, informed by ethno-archaeological data, we examine the risk of protein-rich diets for human survival, and how societies circumvent "salmon starvation" in the northeastern Pacific Rim. Fundamental nutritional constraints associated with salmon storage and consumption counter long-standing assumptions about the engine of cultural evolution in the region. Excess consumption of lean meat can lead to protein poisoning, termed by early explorers "rabbit starvation." While consumption of fats and carbohydrates is widely portrayed as a pathway to "offsetting" protein thresholds, there are true limits to the amount of protein individuals can consume, and constraints are most extreme for smaller individuals, children, and pregnant/nursing mothers. While this problem is not usually perceived as associated with fish, the risk of protein poisoning limits the amount of low-fat fish that people can eat safely. Compared with smaller, mass-harvested species (e.g., eulachon), dried salmon are exceedingly lean.Under certain circumstances fattier foods (small forage fish, marine mammals, whales, and even bears) or carbohydrate-rich plants may have been preferred not just for taste but to circumvent this "dietary protein ceiling." Simply put, "salmon specialization" cannot evolve without access to complimentary caloric energy through fat-rich or carbohydrate-rich resources. By extension, the evolution of storage-based societies requires this problem be solved prior to or in tandem with-salmon intensification. Without such solutions, increased mortality and reproductive rates would have made salmon reliance unsustainable. This insight is in line with genomic research suggesting protein toxicity avoidance was a powerful evolutionary force, possibly linked to genetic adaptations among First Americans. It is also relevant to evaluating the plausibility of other purportedly "focal" economies and informs understanding of the many solutions varied global societies have engineered to overcome physiological protein limits.

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“…The Sugpiaq (traditional Yupik name for the Alutiiq people indigenous to the Alaska Peninsula) likely began settling the Meshik River area around 1700 cal. YBP (Barton, Shirar, and Jordan, 2018). Migration to the Alaska Peninsula began thousands of years earlier, but geologic changes such as volcanic eruptions and sea-level change either delayed the occupation of the Meshik River drainage or buried evidence (Barton, Shirar, and Jordan, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…YBP (Barton, Shirar, and Jordan, 2018). Migration to the Alaska Peninsula began thousands of years earlier, but geologic changes such as volcanic eruptions and sea-level change either delayed the occupation of the Meshik River drainage or buried evidence (Barton, Shirar, and Jordan, 2018). Because of the Aniakchak II eruption and the time required for terrestrial ecological recovery, the Sugpiaq harvested marine and nearshore resources and lived in semipermanent settlements near the coast (Barton, Shirar, and Jordan, 2018; Morseth, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barrier Island Reconfiguration Leads to Rapid Erosion and Relocation of a Rural Alaska Community

Buzard

Kinsman

Maio

et al. 2023

Journal of Coastal Research

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Buzard, R.M.; Kinsman, N.E.M.; Maio, C.V.; Erikson, L.H.; Jones, B.M.; Anderson, S.; Glenn, R.J.T., and Overbeck, J.R., 2023. Barrier island reconfiguration leads to rapid erosion and relocation of a rural Alaska community. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 625–642. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.Coastal erosion is one of the foremost hazards that circumpolar communities face. Climate change and warming temperatures are anticipated to accelerate coastal change, increasing risk to coastal communities. Most erosion hazard studies for Alaska communities only consider linear erosion and do not anticipate coastal morphologic changes. This study showcases the possibility and consequence of accelerated erosion by examining a shift from stability to rapid erosion that forced the rural Alaska Native village of Meshik (now Port Heiden) to abandon the original town site and relocate inland. A combination of remote sensing, coastal surveys, and community-based monitoring are used to map coastal morphologic changes and identify erosion drivers. The community's shoreline was stable until a protective barrier island eroded away. The exposure to open ocean waves, coupled with unconsolidated, low-density sediments, led to rapid erosion rates averaging 5.8 ± 0.6 m/y from the 1970s to 2020s. The sudden and rapid erosion put great stress on Meshik residents and resulted in the loss of homes, erosion of a safe boat harbor, and pollution of the beach and bay. Erosion of the barrier island coincided with a period of greater storm activity and sea ice decline, but the exact cause could not be determined. Many polar communities are built on or behind barriers and are on erodible soils such as sands and thawing permafrost. This study highlights the need to study, monitor, and predict morphologic change and regime shifts that can bring catastrophic impacts to coastal communities.

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Holocene Human Occupation of the Central Alaska Peninsula

Cited by 9 publications

References 43 publications

Human resilience and resettlement among the Islands of Four Mountains, Aleutians, Alaska

Human resilience and resettlement among the Islands of Four Mountains, Aleutians, Alaska

How ancestral subsistence strategies solve salmon starvation and the “protein problem” of Pacific Rim resources

Barrier Island Reconfiguration Leads to Rapid Erosion and Relocation of a Rural Alaska Community

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