The Western Aleutians Archaeological and Paleobiological Project: Continuing Research

University Of Kansas Center For Research Inc, Lawrence KS

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT: OPP-0091875 The Western Aleutians Archaeological and Paleobiological Project, conducted by an international team (U.S.A., France, and Russia) of archaeologists, ecologists, zoologists, paleoethnobotanists, and geomorphologists, provides new information about the colonization of the Near Islands, sizes of Near Island settlements, communication between Near Island groups, and subsistence strategies of prehistoric populations. The project has two primary goals: 1) to examine the nature and characteristics of the western Aleutian culture in order to assess its particularities and the degree of cultural exchange with politically and culturally independent neighboring Aleut subgroups, and 2) to document Holocene environmental change in Beringia and determine, to what extent, these changes impacted prehistoric human communities. The project's past contributions include extensive documentation, mapping, sampling, and analysis to provide a chronological and ethnographic framework. During the new phase, The international team will return to Austin Cove, Attu Island, where archaeologists/ecologists will excavate different features including: 1) a "chief's house, 2) a non-elite dwelling, 3) a Russian Period house, and 4) different types of storage features, to understand the timing of cultural changes which resulted in increasing complexity and study the environmental variables bracketing such changes. A thorough understanding of Holocene environmental change in the region should provide clues in how prehistoric Aleuts adapted to their maritime world. Additionally, some of the most dramatic social and political changes occurred during the Russian/Aleut contact period. The excavation of the Russian period house feature should provide information on social/ economic changes which resulted from this cultural integration.