Task-Specific Sites and Paleoindian Landscape Use in the Shaw Creek Flats, Alaska

Abstract

The Shaw Creek Flats and nearby middle Tanana river, in central Alaska, constitute one of the areas in the Americas with the densest known distribution of Late Glacial (about 14,500-11,700 cal. B.P.) archaeological sites. Local high rates of sediment deposition and low post-depositional disturbance allow for the interpretation of the function of archaeological occupations within larger economic and mobility strategies. Residential sites used over the long term seem to be located near critical but immovable resources such as clear water and vegetation. The spatial association of artifacts and faunal remains at other sites in the Flats suggest that they were specialized, short-lived locations dedicated to a single or few activities. For instance, the site of Swan Point Cultural Zone 4b is interpreted as a workshop related to the production of composite tools, particularly on mammoth ivory; and the site of Keystone Dune is interpreted as a camp related to wapiti (Cervus elaphus) hunting. These task-specific sites and others were probably used as part of a predominantly logistical mobility and economy strategy, which maximized efficiency in harvesting and processing resources that were distributed heterogeneously on the landscape.

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

“…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 ). Last, the Keystone Dune site, characterized by an ephemeral archaeological occupation with no anthropogenic feature and by comparatively high sedimentation rates (Lanoë, Reuther, & Holmes, ), yielded no small‐mammal remains (m1 or other).…”

Mammoth Ivory Rods in Eastern Beringia: Earliest in North America

“…There is also evidence at Swan Point CZ4b that a juvenile mammoth was hunted as early as 14,000 cal BP (Lanoë and Holmes 2016;Lanoë et al 2017), but such definitive evidence for hunting is rare in Alaska. Subfossilized ivory is easier to work than fresh ivory (Lanoë et al 2018) and tusk caching with the intention of drying or curing ivory for later dates back to 30,000 cal BP in northern Siberia (Pitulko et al 2015). Therefore, to determine if humans and mammoths were contemporaneous at Shaw Creek, it is important to date ivory directly and compare it to dates from Ramsey 2020) and atmospheric data from IntCal20 (Reimer et al 2020).…”

The geographic origin of Clovis technology: Insights from Clovis biface caches

“…Morrow (2019:193) sees parallels in Clovis tool assemblages with assemblages from the Shaw Creek Flats area of central Alaska. The Shaw Creek Flats area includes one of the densest known concentrations of buried, in situ Pleistocene archaeological sites in the Americas (Lanoë et al 2018). Sites in the area evidence both biface and bladelet (microblade) technology along with the presence of ivory points, needles, and ivory rods.…”

“…Sites in the area evidence both biface and bladelet (microblade) technology along with the presence of ivory points, needles, and ivory rods. The earliest component of the Swan Point site (CZ4b) in the Shaw Creek Flats area is dated is from 14,150-13,870 cal BP (Lanoë et al 2018) and predates Clovis sites south of the ice sheets.…”