The Paleo-Arctic Tradition is the name given by archaeologists to the cultural tradition of the earliest well-documented human occupants of the North AmericanArctic, which date from the period 8000–5000 BC. The tradition covers Alaska and expands far into the east, west, and the Southwest Yukon Territory.[1]
The Upward Sun River site, a Late Pleistocene archaeological site associated with the Paleo-Arctic Tradition, located in the Tanana Valley, Alaska has now been dated to around 11,500 BP.[2] Upward Sun River is the site of the oldest human remains discovered on the American side of Beringia.[3]
Around 8000 BC, Alaska was still connected to Siberia with the landbridge, located in the current Bering Strait. People who inhabited this region in Alaska were of the Dyuktai tradition, originally located in Siberia. Eventually, the Dyuktai changed into the Sumnagin culture, a hunting/fishing group, whose culture was defined by possessing a new technology. Other cultures flourished as well, all being placed under the general category of the Paleo-Arctic tradition.
"The Paleo-Arctic tradition is still a shadowy entity, a patchwork of local Early Holocene cultural traditions that flourished over an enormous area of extreme northwestern North America for at least 4000 years, and longer in many places. Other terms such as the Northwest Microblade tradition, Denali Complex, and Beringian tradition have been used to describe these same general adaptations, but Paleo-Arctic is the most appropriate because it is the kind of general label that reflects a great variety of different human adaptations during a period of increasing environmental diversity and change" (Fagan, p.173).
The Paleo-Arctic is mostly known for lithic remains (stone technology). Some artifacts found include microblades, small wedge-shaped cores, some leaf-shaped bifaces, scrapers, and graving tools. The microblades were used as hunting weapons and were mounted in wood, antler, or bone points. Paleo-Arctic stone specialists also created bifaces that were used as tools and as cores for the production of large artifact blanks. Little evidence remains of the culture's settlement patterns, because many of the settlements were inundated by the rising sea levels of the Holocene; however, remains of stone tools were discovered, giving indirect evidence of settlement sites.
The Nenana Complex is the oldest part of the Paleo-Arctic Tradition found in cultural stratigraphic layers dating from 11,800 to 11,000 BP. It has been found at the Dry Creek, Moose Creek, and Walker Road archaeological sites and is characterized by bifacially flaked, unfluted spear points. The complex also includes bifacially worked knives and unifacially retouched lithic flakes lacking microblades that generally resemble similar lithics found in sites of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, possibly due to migration and cultural exchange over the Bering land bridge.[4]
Denali Complexedit
The Denali Complex denotes a more recent part of the Paleo-Arctic Tradition dated to 10,000 BP. Although it is found in similar sites to the Nenana Complex such as the Dry Creek archaeological site, it is distinguished stratigraphically and through the presence of microblades, wedge-shaped lithic cores, and burins.[4]
^Cameron B. Wesson (2009). The A to Z of Early North America. Scarecrow Press. p. 155. ISBN978-0-8108-6339-2.
^Potter, Ben A.; Irish, Joel (December 2, 2014). "New insights into Eastern Beringian mortuary behavior: A terminal Pleistocene double infant burial at Upward Sun River". PNAS. 111 (48): 17060–17065. Bibcode:2014PNAS..11117060P. doi:10.1073/pnas.1413131111. PMC4260572. PMID 25385599.
^Horne, Naomi (October 26, 2015). "Ancient Alaska infants' DNA supports human migration theory". University of Alaska Fairbanks. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
^ abFeder, Kenneth (2017). The Past In Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory. Oxford University Press. p. 241-242. ISBN9780190275891.
Fagan, Brian M. Ancient North America. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 2005.
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paleo, arctic, tradition, paleo, arctic, tradition, name, given, archaeologists, cultural, tradition, earliest, well, documented, human, occupants, north, american, arctic, which, date, from, period, 8000, 5000, tradition, covers, alaska, expands, into, east, . The Paleo Arctic Tradition is the name given by archaeologists to the cultural tradition of the earliest well documented human occupants of the North American Arctic which date from the period 8000 5000 BC The tradition covers Alaska and expands far into the east west and the Southwest Yukon Territory 1 The Upward Sun River site a Late Pleistocene archaeological site associated with the Paleo Arctic Tradition located in the Tanana Valley Alaska has now been dated to around 11 500 BP 2 Upward Sun River is the site of the oldest human remains discovered on the American side of Beringia 3 Around 8000 BC Alaska was still connected to Siberia with the landbridge located in the current Bering Strait People who inhabited this region in Alaska were of the Dyuktai tradition originally located in Siberia Eventually the Dyuktai changed into the Sumnagin culture a hunting fishing group whose culture was defined by possessing a new technology Other cultures flourished as well all being placed under the general category of the Paleo Arctic tradition The Paleo Arctic tradition is still a shadowy entity a patchwork of local Early Holocene cultural traditions that flourished over an enormous area of extreme northwestern North America for at least 4000 years and longer in many places Other terms such as the Northwest Microblade tradition Denali Complex and Beringian tradition have been used to describe these same general adaptations but Paleo Arctic is the most appropriate because it is the kind of general label that reflects a great variety of different human adaptations during a period of increasing environmental diversity and change Fagan p 173 The Paleo Arctic is mostly known for lithic remains stone technology Some artifacts found include microblades small wedge shaped cores some leaf shaped bifaces scrapers and graving tools The microblades were used as hunting weapons and were mounted in wood antler or bone points Paleo Arctic stone specialists also created bifaces that were used as tools and as cores for the production of large artifact blanks Little evidence remains of the culture s settlement patterns because many of the settlements were inundated by the rising sea levels of the Holocene however remains of stone tools were discovered giving indirect evidence of settlement sites Contents 1 Nenana Complex 2 Denali Complex 3 See also 4 ReferencesNenana Complex editThe Nenana Complex is the oldest part of the Paleo Arctic Tradition found in cultural stratigraphic layers dating from 11 800 to 11 000 BP It has been found at the Dry Creek Moose Creek and Walker Road archaeological sites and is characterized by bifacially flaked unfluted spear points The complex also includes bifacially worked knives and unifacially retouched lithic flakes lacking microblades that generally resemble similar lithics found in sites of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia possibly due to migration and cultural exchange over the Bering land bridge 4 Denali Complex editThe Denali Complex denotes a more recent part of the Paleo Arctic Tradition dated to 10 000 BP Although it is found in similar sites to the Nenana Complex such as the Dry Creek archaeological site it is distinguished stratigraphically and through the presence of microblades wedge shaped lithic cores and burins 4 See also editPaleo Indians Archaeology of the Americas List of archaeological periods North America Upward Sun River siteReferences edit Cameron B Wesson 2009 The A to Z of Early North America Scarecrow Press p 155 ISBN 978 0 8108 6339 2 Potter Ben A Irish Joel December 2 2014 New insights into Eastern Beringian mortuary behavior A terminal Pleistocene double infant burial at Upward Sun River PNAS 111 48 17060 17065 Bibcode 2014PNAS 11117060P doi 10 1073 pnas 1413131111 PMC 4260572 PMID 25385599 Horne Naomi October 26 2015 Ancient Alaska infants DNA supports human migration theory University of Alaska Fairbanks Retrieved 30 October 2015 a b Feder Kenneth 2017 The Past In Perspective An Introduction to Human Prehistory Oxford University Press p 241 242 ISBN 9780190275891 Fagan Brian M Ancient North America London Thames amp Hudson Ltd 2005 nbsp This Alaska related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paleo Arctic tradition amp oldid 1097464015, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
