Since 1990 Southeast Alaska has become a new frontier for American paleontology and archaeology. Once thought to have been overridden by ice and denuded of life during the last Ice Age, it now appears that this region contained coastal refugia that were home to isolated populations of land mammals, possibly including humans, and may have served as a corridor for intercontinental travel. Scientists including archaeologists, sedimentologists, glacial geologists, and geneticists are now working together to unravel the complex Quaternary history of this important region. I have been the leader of the paleontological aspect of this research. With funds from the National Geographic Society and support from Tongass National Forest and the Tongass Caves Project (a major cave reconnaissance and mapping expedition), my assistants and I have located and excavated rich cave deposits that have formed the primary data source for this new emerging view of Southeast Alaska. These deposits contain a record of mammals, birds, and fishes that span the last 45,000 years. Our discovery in 1996 of the oldest human remains ever found in Alaska or canada brought about a more integrated research effort and helped archaeologist and collaborator E. James Dixon of the Denver Museum of Natural History to secure NSF funding for an expanded 1997 excavation. Our close collaboration continues, but our need for more manpower and other support has led us to seek independent funding.
A three-year research project is proposed to intensify the excavation and provide for adequate laboratroy analyses of cave deposits on Prince of Wales (POW) Island and other islands of Alaska's Alexander Archipelago. At least two summers will be spent excavating On Your Knees Cave where the human remains ere found. this cave has a continuous fossil record across the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) from at least 41,600 years BP to the present and is a landmark site for unraveling the biochronology of the region (cave deposits previously excavated were postglacial: 12,300 BP to present). This excavation must proceed quickly because of agreements with Native tribal organizations to rebury the human remains in the cave in a timely fashion. On Your Knees Cave is a cramped, wet cave that pres4ents many special difficulties for excavation, however my specialized research team possesses the necessary experience and equipment for working in such cave environments. In our work, all sediments are excavated systematically according to a three dimensional grid and are wet screened through fine mesh to recover all animal remains. Specialists in other disciplines are consulted at every stage of the work to make sure that no crucial information is lost.
Our research has already documented that Ursus arctos (brown bear), previously thought never to have inhabited POW Island, actually lived there both before and after the LGM and probably inhabited the archipelago during the entire LGM. The most common fossil from the LGM itself is Phoca hispida (ringed seal) which currently inhabits only the Arctic region and is a climatic indicator of seasonal sea ice. We have discovered distinct suites of rodents before and after the LGM, some of which reflect the climatic shift from the alpine conditions of the Ice Age to the dense rainforest that now occupies Southeast Alaska. This research promises to provide a detailed biologic and climatic chronology of the region and to resolve longstanding controversies among archaeologists about potential routes between Beringia and the unglaciated parts of North America. Our discoveries thus far suggest that a detailed human history may also be documented from this cave site.
Our past excavations have been of short duration and have been mainly a volunteer effort. Two-month field seasons and extensive laboratory support are now needed to adequately complete the current excavationand to expand the research to other islands and the nearby mainland where new cave deposits are being reported to us. We also propose to involve undergraduate students from the University of South Dakota in all aspects of the work and to have them present papers on specialized topics at scientific meetings. (Dr. Dixon's NSF grant is also supporting Tlingit native interns from POW Island in the excavation and analysis.) My colleagues and I believe that this interdisciplinary and intercultural research project promises to greatly expand our knowledge of American prehistory while providing a unique educational experience for all parties involved.
