PNWAS ZOOM Meeting
Thursday December 9th 2021
starting at 6:30 with program at 7:00 PM
To join the ZOOM Meeting and see the presentation
please become a member today!
Thursday December 9th 2021
starting at 6:30 with program at 7:00 PM
To join the ZOOM Meeting and see the presentation
please become a member today!
Late-Glacial Hunter-Gatherers in the Central Alaska Range
and the Role of Upland Ecosystems in the Peopling of Alaska
By Dr. John C. Blong,
Washington State University
and the Role of Upland Ecosystems in the Peopling of Alaska
By Dr. John C. Blong,
Washington State University
Upland central Alaskan ecosystems are typically thought of as less productive and more challenging for humans to live in than lowland ecosystems. It can also be difficult to conduct archaeological research in high-elevation locations. Because of these issues, archaeological research often prioritizes investigations in the lowlands. However, Alaskan upland ecosystems can provide novel resources that attract human activity.
With increased research focus in recent years, archaeologists are pushing back the earliest evidence for human activity in upland ecosystems around the world. This is also the case in central Alaska, where there is growing evidence that the earliest humans to settle eastern Beringia during the late-glacial period made use of subsistence and lithic resources in the central Alaska Range.
In this presentation I review the late glacial paleo-ecological and archaeological record of the central Alaska Range, highlighting its role in hunter-gatherer land use during the initial settlement of eastern Beringia. The early use of upland landscapes in Alaska suggests variability in land-use patterns during the initial settlement of North America and has significant implications for our understanding the process of the first peopling of the Americas.
With increased research focus in recent years, archaeologists are pushing back the earliest evidence for human activity in upland ecosystems around the world. This is also the case in central Alaska, where there is growing evidence that the earliest humans to settle eastern Beringia during the late-glacial period made use of subsistence and lithic resources in the central Alaska Range.
In this presentation I review the late glacial paleo-ecological and archaeological record of the central Alaska Range, highlighting its role in hunter-gatherer land use during the initial settlement of eastern Beringia. The early use of upland landscapes in Alaska suggests variability in land-use patterns during the initial settlement of North America and has significant implications for our understanding the process of the first peopling of the Americas.
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