Swan Point
Encyclopedia
Swan Point, Alaska is an archaeological site
located in the Tanana River Valley
, Alaska
. R. VanderHoek and T.E. Dilley while under the direction of C.E. Holmes discovered the site in August 1991. The site dates from approximately 14,500 B.P. to 14,000 calendar years B.P., making it one of the oldest sites in Alaska and the oldest site in the Tanana River Valley.
that has been radiocarbon dated to approximately 14,000 B.P. The charcoal dating makes this the oldest known site in the Tanana River Valley. The five occupation times include:
found at this level include worked mammoth
tusk fragments, microblades, microblade core preparation flakes, blades, dihedral burins, red ochre, pebble hammers, and quartz hammer tools and choppers. The microblades found at this zone are significant as they are the oldest securely dated microblades in eastern Beringia.
, it is assumed that the people who lived on the site scavenged the ivory rather than hunting the mammoth themselves.
with artifacts including pecked stone fragments, scrapers, straight-based lanceolate points and microblades.
knife tang
, an early-historic glass bottle
and a moose bone flesher.
site, the remains of fauna and flora at Swan Point are comparatively few and poorly preserved. The remains that were discovered include swan
, goose
and moose
recovered from the mid to late Holocene zone.
Because of its close proximity to the Broken Mammoth site it can be inferred that the climate at Swan Point was similar with lowland tundra
and low vegetation. Charcoal remains indicate wood from Populus and Willow
which are associated with the oldest artifacts found at the site.
The stratigraphy
at Swan Point is slightly different from the other sites in the Tanana River Valley; it is thinner because it is farther from the Tanana River
. It consists of one meter of late Quaternary
aeolian sediments overlying bedrock
. The stratigraphic sequence is firmly dated spanning the last 11,700 cal years. Grayish aeolian sand overlies the bedrock and overlying that is a pebble
layer. Above this is a tan loess layer in which numerous cultural levels and palaeosols are found. At 50–55 cm below the surface cultural material including hearth charcoal was found dating to 10,230 ± 80 cal yr B.P. The modern soil is typically brown sub-arctic forest soil
. The lateral continuity of the layers indicates that there has been no displacement of the stratigraphy since the loess accumulation, indicating the dating for the materials found within it should be fairly be precise.
.
An analysis of the lipids and fatty acids in these hearths was conducted in 2008. The report concluded that the bones of animals not only contributed to the diet of the occupants but the marrow
and grease was a fuel source. One hearth sample 19792, is believed to come from a large animal, similar to the Red Deer
. Hearth samples 19413 and 19421 also have lipids of animal origin from a monogastric
herbivore
. Sample 19529 contained lipids from a ruminant
herbivore and plant material from seeds, indicating that bones from more than one species of animal fueled the fire of early Swan Point occupation hearths.
The lithics in the earliest levels at Swan yielded microblades, which were not found at nearby Broken Mammoth and Meade sites. Lithics of this time period include bifacial tools, blade and microblades, choppers and scrapers of varying size; tools made of ivory are also present. Carbon residue of a chert platform rejuvenation flake has been radiocarbon dated to 13,800 B.P. an indication over the age of the pre Terminal Pleistocene lithics.
The next time period where significant lithics have been found at Swan Poin was between 13,000 and 9,500 C. yr B.P. when the Chindadn point type 3 is prevalent. Microblade technology is associated with this period at Healy Lake site but not Broken Mammoth. Swan Point also yields some unique triangular bifaces with corners and broken tips reworked into graver spurs.
Obsidian
lithics made from material from the Wrangall Mountains have also been found at Swan Point in the lowest levels of the loess, comparable to the lithics found at Broken Mammoth. The obsidian microblades found at Broken Mammoth were made from the same Obsidian material as the ones found at Swan Point indicating a strong connection between the two sites.
West, Frederick Hadleigh., and Constance F. West. American Beginnings: the Prehistory and Palaeoecology of Beringia. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1996. 319-323 Print.
Holmes, C.E., VanderHoek, R., and T.E. Dilley 1994 Old Microblades in the Tanana Valley: The View from Swan Point. Presented at symposium "Human Populations and Environments in Late Pleistocene Beringia" held at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Alaska Anthropological Association, March 31-April 2, Juneau.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
located in the Tanana River Valley
Tanana Valley
The Tanana Valley is a lowland region in central Alaska in the United States, on the north side of the Alaska Range where the Tanana River emerges from the mountains.-Climate:...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. R. VanderHoek and T.E. Dilley while under the direction of C.E. Holmes discovered the site in August 1991. The site dates from approximately 14,500 B.P. to 14,000 calendar years B.P., making it one of the oldest sites in Alaska and the oldest site in the Tanana River Valley.
Occupation
Swan Point has been occupied at least five times since ca 14,500 cal yr B.P. with evidence of charcoalCharcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
that has been radiocarbon dated to approximately 14,000 B.P. The charcoal dating makes this the oldest known site in the Tanana River Valley. The five occupation times include:
Terminal Pleistocene
This is the oldest cultural level from approximately 11,660 cal yr B.P. to 10,000 cal yr B.P. ArtifactsArtifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
found at this level include worked mammoth
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths, and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair...
tusk fragments, microblades, microblade core preparation flakes, blades, dihedral burins, red ochre, pebble hammers, and quartz hammer tools and choppers. The microblades found at this zone are significant as they are the oldest securely dated microblades in eastern Beringia.
Latest Pleistocene
A variety of bifacial points were found at this level, which dates to approximately 10,230 ± 80 cal yr B.P, including lanceolate points with convex to straight bases, along with graver spurs, quartz pebble choppers and hammers. The mammoth artifacts found in the Latest Pleistocene zone date to approximately 14,000 cal yr B.P. With no other mammoth remains found beyond tusk ivoryIvory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
, it is assumed that the people who lived on the site scavenged the ivory rather than hunting the mammoth themselves.
Mid to Late Holocene
Artifacts found at this level include lanceolate points with heavy edge grinding, sub-conical microblade cores, microblades and scrapers. The upper layer of this level also has notched points, lanceolates, flake burins, microblades, a microblade core and a graver spur on a flake.Late Holocene
This level represents the last 1,700 years of the HoloceneHolocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
with artifacts including pecked stone fragments, scrapers, straight-based lanceolate points and microblades.
Historic
Site use in historic time is indicated by the presence of artifacts such as tin cans, 30-30 rifle cartridges, an ironIron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
knife tang
Tang (weaponry)
A tang or shank is the back portion of a tool where it extends into stock material or is connected to a handle as on a knife, sword, spear, arrowhead, chisel, screwdriver, etc...
, an early-historic glass bottle
Glass bottle
A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass. Glass bottles can vary in size considerably, but are most commonly found in sizes ranging between about 10ml and 5 liters....
and a moose bone flesher.
Climate and Resources
Unlike the Broken MammothBroken Mammoth
Broken Mammoth, Alaska is an archeological site located in the Tanana River Valley, Alaska in the United States. The site was occupied approximately 11,000 B.P. to 12,000 B.P. making this one of the oldest known sites in Alaska. Charles E...
site, the remains of fauna and flora at Swan Point are comparatively few and poorly preserved. The remains that were discovered include swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
, goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
and moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
recovered from the mid to late Holocene zone.
Because of its close proximity to the Broken Mammoth site it can be inferred that the climate at Swan Point was similar with lowland tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
and low vegetation. Charcoal remains indicate wood from Populus and Willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
which are associated with the oldest artifacts found at the site.
The stratigraphy
Stratigraphy
Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering . It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks....
at Swan Point is slightly different from the other sites in the Tanana River Valley; it is thinner because it is farther from the Tanana River
Tanana River
The Tanana River is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to linguist and anthropologist William Bright, the name is from the Koyukon tene no, tenene, literally "trail river"....
. It consists of one meter of late Quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
aeolian sediments overlying bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
. The stratigraphic sequence is firmly dated spanning the last 11,700 cal years. Grayish aeolian sand overlies the bedrock and overlying that is a pebble
Pebble
A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of 4 to 64 millimetres based on the Krumbein phi scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered to be larger than granules and smaller than cobbles . A rock made predominantly of pebbles is termed a conglomerate...
layer. Above this is a tan loess layer in which numerous cultural levels and palaeosols are found. At 50–55 cm below the surface cultural material including hearth charcoal was found dating to 10,230 ± 80 cal yr B.P. The modern soil is typically brown sub-arctic forest soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
. The lateral continuity of the layers indicates that there has been no displacement of the stratigraphy since the loess accumulation, indicating the dating for the materials found within it should be fairly be precise.
Artifacts and features
The remains of several hearths were found at Swan Point. Hearths found in the Holocene period have mostly charcoal while earlier hearths at the site include charcoal and some bone. The earliest zone, dating to the Terminal Pleistocene, had no signs of traditional hearth. Some burned residue was found at this zone, implying that before the mid to late Holocene the site was only used as a temporary occupation without repeated use of fireFire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
.
An analysis of the lipids and fatty acids in these hearths was conducted in 2008. The report concluded that the bones of animals not only contributed to the diet of the occupants but the marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
and grease was a fuel source. One hearth sample 19792, is believed to come from a large animal, similar to the Red Deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
. Hearth samples 19413 and 19421 also have lipids of animal origin from a monogastric
Monogastric
A monogastric organism has a simple single-chambered stomach, whereas ruminants have a four-chambered complex stomach. Examples of monogastric animals include omnivores such as humans, rats and pigs, carnivores such as dogs and cats, and herbivores such as Horses and rabbits. Herbivores with...
herbivore
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
. Sample 19529 contained lipids from a ruminant
Ruminant
A ruminant is a mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first compartment of the stomach, principally through bacterial actions, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again...
herbivore and plant material from seeds, indicating that bones from more than one species of animal fueled the fire of early Swan Point occupation hearths.
The lithics in the earliest levels at Swan yielded microblades, which were not found at nearby Broken Mammoth and Meade sites. Lithics of this time period include bifacial tools, blade and microblades, choppers and scrapers of varying size; tools made of ivory are also present. Carbon residue of a chert platform rejuvenation flake has been radiocarbon dated to 13,800 B.P. an indication over the age of the pre Terminal Pleistocene lithics.
The next time period where significant lithics have been found at Swan Poin was between 13,000 and 9,500 C. yr B.P. when the Chindadn point type 3 is prevalent. Microblade technology is associated with this period at Healy Lake site but not Broken Mammoth. Swan Point also yields some unique triangular bifaces with corners and broken tips reworked into graver spurs.
Obsidian
Obsidian
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock.It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth...
lithics made from material from the Wrangall Mountains have also been found at Swan Point in the lowest levels of the loess, comparable to the lithics found at Broken Mammoth. The obsidian microblades found at Broken Mammoth were made from the same Obsidian material as the ones found at Swan Point indicating a strong connection between the two sites.
Further reading
Holmes, Charles E. "Tanana River Valley Archaeology Circa 14,000 to 9000 B.P." Arctic Anthropology 38.2 (2001): 154West, Frederick Hadleigh., and Constance F. West. American Beginnings: the Prehistory and Palaeoecology of Beringia. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1996. 319-323 Print.
Holmes, C.E., VanderHoek, R., and T.E. Dilley 1994 Old Microblades in the Tanana Valley: The View from Swan Point. Presented at symposium "Human Populations and Environments in Late Pleistocene Beringia" held at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Alaska Anthropological Association, March 31-April 2, Juneau.
External links
- http://www.alaska.net/~taiga2/Swan_Point.html
- http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/culture/archaeology.html