RAPID: Retrieving the Late Pleistocene/Holocene Archaeology Record at the Carpenter Mining Quarry, Interior Alaska

University Of Alaska Fairbanks Campus, Fairbanks AK

Investigators

Abstract

Stratified archaeological sites in interior Alaska are critical to understanding the peopling of Beringia and the Americas. This rapid-response research involves the excavation and recovery of archaeological, geological, and paleoecological data from a multicomponent site in interior Alaska that is in imminent danger of destruction. Dating to the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene and located on a prominent landform, the site contains lithics and well-preserved organic materials from several time periods. The site’s location, stratification, and degree of preservation offer scientists unparalleled insights on ancient human adaptations to an ecosystem shifting from tundra to boreal forest. Site XBD-00456 will be systematically excavated by arbitrary levels to document the cultural, environmental, and depositional history of the site. Lithic and bone artifacts, carbon and soil samples will be collected and analyzed according to professional archaeological standards. Geoarchaeological data will inform paleoecological reconstruction, while lithic artifacts will undergo XRF analysis to characterize their chemical composition. Recovered materials will be curated in Alaska and accessible for future study by researchers and descendant community members. Results will be disseminated via conference presentations, journal articles, and to descendant communities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.