Western Subarctic Flashcards
Unconfirmed Early peoples of the western subarctic
Earliest occupation between 14-15,000 BP
What is the Steppe Tundra
Cold and dry environment
Highly productive and diverse landscape for plant species
Able to support the megafauna (Mammoths)
What were the Bluefish Caves of Yukon
Contained evidnece of sporadic human occupation and dates cultures to 12,000 BP
Contained controversial material
Mammoth bones that were polished with signs of cut marks
Describe what was found in Old Crow, Yukon
Mammoth bone with flakes
Shaped and prepared like a stone core
Materials dated to as old as 40, 000 BP
Was there evidence for pre-clovis
Area artifacts are found in is deglaciated, contained hallmarks for flaking
Normal bone fracture and poor soil development
Who were the confirmed early people in the Western Subarctic? What were the Point styles?
two distinct cultural traditions: Clovis and Folsom
Paleo-indian fluted point tradition
Plano point styles
What was Charlie Lake Cave, British Columbia (date, what did they find)
Oldest evidence of rituals in Canada
10,500
What is the Paleo-Arctic Tradition (Origin, date, culture)
Originating in Alaska
11,800 BP - 11, 000 BP, Oldest technological tradition (Nenana Complex)
Denali Complex
What is the Denali Complex (date, characteristic tools)
10 ,000 BP
Microblades and burins
What is the Nenana Complex (date, tools)
11, 800- 11, 000 BP
Unfluted points, bifacial knives
Describe the western Subarctic after 8,000 BP (Culture that existed)
Northern Cordilleran developed with the Paleo Arctic to the west and the Paleo Indian groups to the south
Describe the subsistence and habitation after 8, 000 BP
Shifted from megafauna to smaller species
Resources exploited on a seasonal basis
Central base camps and satellite hunting camps
Summer in upland areas
Fall, Winter, and Spring in lowlands
What is the Plano tradition (Where, Points, time)
Present within Yukon, Northwest Territories, and northern British Colombia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
Stemmed or elongated points, no flutes
Approximately 11,000 BP
What is a northern Plano point
8,000 BP similar to Agate Basin form south but younger
Describe the tools of each group
Northern Cordilleran in Yukon
Paleo Arctic to the west
Paleo Indian groups to the south
- the Northern Cordilleran in the Yukon – lanceolate points
- the Paleo Arctic to the west (Yukon/Alaska) - microblades
- Paleo Indian groups to the south – Northern Plano
Describe the Northern Archaic (Date, develops from who, technology)
Begins about 7,000 BP
Develops largely from Northern Cordilleran
Major shift in technology: Side notched points, Atlatl technology
What is the Atlatl (who used it, describe it)
Northern Archaic
Throwing sticks are grooved pieces of wood to hold a dart
Usage of smaller points in comparison with spear heads
Custom weights attached to increase power and range
Subsistence and social systems of the Northern Archaic, where
Subsistence and social systems similar to the previous millennia (Northern Cordilleran, regional exploitation, ban d system based on extended kinship)
Northern Archaic traditions found within the western portion of the Western Subarctic
When did Northern Archaic traditions stop
Northern Archaic traditions exist up until the period of European contact
Continue to see small-scale variation in point styles and the use of microblades across the western half of the Western Subarctic
Describe bows and arrows of the Northern Archaic (When, made out of what)
- Arrow points predominantly made of bone and antler
- Preservation issue
- Estimated around 1,100 BP
How did ice patches affect our findings
Organic preservation is a major issue in understanding peoples of the region
Warming temperatures in the 1990s melted ice patches that revealed organic artifacts that were lost while hunting or traveling across the patches that were preserved
