anth220pp : Arthur

    The Tanana River is the second largest river by volume in Alaska, just behind the Yukon River. It is bordered by the Alaska range on the south and the Yukon-Tanana uplands to the north. At about the same latitude as Fairbanks, the river enters the Tanana-Kuskokwin lowland where it joins the Yukon River at the village of Tanana, approximately 600km as the crow flies from its sources (the Nabesna and Chisana Rivers).
    The Tanana River valley is shielded from the effects of the Pacific ocean by the Alaskan Range and has a high variation in yearly temperature, ranging from a summer high of 30C to a winter low of -50C. The valley is within a region of Boreal forest in which the dominant tree species are white and black spruce (Picea glauca, P. mariana). Paper birch (Betula papyrifera), aspen (Populus tremuloides), and cottenwood (Populus spp.) are found in areas and the vegetation in the valley is largely influenced by altitude, summer temperatures, and the permafrost layer which is discontinous throughout the area. (West F.H, 1996)
    Fauna within the valley is consistent with interior Alaska. Large ungulates include: cariboo (Rangifer tarandus), moose (Alces alces), and Dall sheep (Ovis dalli). The major carnivores include: grizzly (brown) bear (Ursus arctos), black bear (U. americanus), and wolf (Canis lupus). Fur bearers of economic importance include: beaver (Castor canadensis), ground squirrel (Citellus parryi) and the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). (Pielou. 1994)

    The ancient environment (paleoenvironment) of Beringia is being debated; but with techniques such as sediment core study and palynology (study of pollen) and the discovery of preserved Beringia era soils, the evidence is showing that it was quite similar to the modern day arctic environment. (Elias. 1995) The vegetation was dominated by sedge and grass that grew with short willow, mosses, and meadow herbs. hummocks, micro-habitats of mounds and depressions formed by freeze-dry cycles, indicated that there was seasonal waterlogging and drying. There was a mixture of moist, meadowy, and dry landscapes in a windy environment consisting of dry summers, heavy precipitation in the spring and fall, and soil froze in the winter. These environmental conditions were probably adequate to support the Pleistocene fauna. (Zazula. G. 2003)
    The paleontological record is dominated by three main mammals: the Bison (Bison priscus), the Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), and the Horse (Equus lambei and E. hemionus). Other mammals that were present would be easily recognized today: musk-ox, caribou, Dall sheep, wapiti (red deer), and saiga antelope. (West F.H.1996) As is evident by this list, the large fauna were dominated by grazers, which would support the steppe argument in the Beringian paleoenvironment debate. Not all fauna in Beringia were vegetarian though; the top carnivores of the time were: The American lion (Panthera leo atrox), saber-toothed cat (Smilodon), short faced bear (Arctodus simus and Arctodus pristinus), dire wolf (Canis dirus), the modern day grizzly and polar bears, and the timber wolf. (West F.H.1996) As impressive as this list of meat eaters appears, following the wildlife as it moved across the land bridge from Siberia was an even more successful and efficient predator: humans (Homo sapiens sapiens).

There are two main theories regarding human migration routes into North America: the Inland Route (green arrow in fig.1) and the Coastal Route (red arrow in fig.1). Whichever migration route you subscribe to archeological evidence shows that the interior of Alaska, and specificaly the Tanana valley, has been occupied for close to 12,000 years. (West. F.H. 1996) The dots in the two maps of Alaska and north east Canada represent archeological sites. The first map shows sites from the late Pleistocene and early Holocene (14,000 to approximately 8,000 years ago) and the second shows sites from the middle Holocene (approximately 7,000 to 3,000 years ago). In both maps the red circle outlines the approximate area of the Tanana valley.

While all of the archeological sites in the Tanana valley and the rest of Alaska and Yukon have provided substantial information towards explaining how and when people first came to North America, there are still more questions and much to learn. Which brings us to Haah Tuuh Taiy or KdVo-6 as designated by the Canadian Borden Archaeological Site Registry system. In 2006 this site was named the Little John site after a respected local Dineh Ancestor who often used the location as a hunting camp until his death in 1984.

Ha Tuh Taiy (Borden Site # KdVo-6) is a multi component site located near the headwaters of Mirror Creek, in the Chisana basin at the eastern end of the Tanana valley, just inside the Canadian border north of Beaver Creek, Yukon. The site sits on an aspen and spruce covered hill with a commanding view of the valley (see photo at the top of the page). The Alaska Highway passes through a cut in the hill close-by; however, beyond the passing of a motorhome or a semi-trailer, it is easy to image you're looking over a glacial steppe valley, watching for caribou to pass below.

The cultural components found on the site include: Historic; late prehistoric (Taye Lake phase); middle prehistoric (Northern Archaic), Northwest Microblade (Denali tradition), and the Nenana Complex. (Easton, N.A. 2004) The site was used as a camp for the military during the building of the Alaska Highway and material from that time has also been found. The Nenana component is represented by "Chindadn points" and bifacial technology. microblades and two core fragments were recovered from the Denali component. Side-notched and stemmed points were recovered from the Northern Archaic component. A small collection was also found above the White River ash layer. (Easton N.A.2003) There is excellent faunal preservation on the site and a large collection of bone fragments with a few few intact pieces were collected.

    Archeology is a "hands on" science, with the archeologist getting down into a hole and digging in the dirt. It is also a very exacting science, where measurements are taken throughout the dig, and knowing where you found the artifact is just as, if not more, important than the artifact itself. It's all about provenience, where in the soil stratigraphy the artifact was found.
    When an artifact is found, its location is measured in four dimensions: a Northing, how far to the north measured from the south wall; an Easting, how far to the east measured from the west wall; a depth from the surface; and a depth from the data point. The data point, or datum, is a fixed point of elevation set over the entire site from which all vertical measurements are taken. Once all the above measurements are taken, additional information may be collected depending on the circumstances. These generally include photos, soil samples, and mapping of a floor plan. The artifact is then place in a container that has the site identification number (e.g. KdVo-6), unit identification, and provenience measurements. A little exploration is done around the spot where the artifact was found; if nothing else is discovered the excavation continues.
    The following is a collection of photos that provides a small log of the 2004 field season at Haah Tuuh Taiy (KdVo-6). It follows a rough chronological sequence from the first scrape of a trowel, to the artifacts being measured, and information logged.

    The camp facilities provided by members of the White River First Nation are very comfortable and provide an excellent base to work from. As seen in the photo on the left, the camp is set on the hill surrounded by aspen and spruce and has a view of the Tanana valley beyond.
    Once camp is set up, the area for excavation is cleared of all vegetation and the duff removed. The duff is the active layer of soil consisting of decomposing vegetation and small roots. After the top layer of soil is cleared, a 1 by 1 metre square is staked and lined out. The middle photo is a larger example of this, with a 2 by 2 metre square mapped out. Each unit is split into quadrants for the actual excavation. The existing pit in the photo was from the previous season and the new units were radiating off it.
    The picture on the right shows the tools of excavation for an archeologist: a trowel, a pan, and a bucket. To minimize the risk of missing an artifact in-situ (in place), the removal of sediment is done by quadrant and slowly.

    The sediment is scraped with the edge of the trowel and is placed in the bucket. While scraping, care must be taken to feel for any changes in texture of the sediment or for any artifact. Faunal material can be damaged by the edge of the trowel; thus, it should be gently uncovered and not gouged out. It has sat there for a long time and a little longer won't do it any harm.
    The buckets of sediment that have been collected are screened to look for any material of interest. The middle picture shows a typical set up for screening, with the screens being hung at a comfortable height to shake. The bucket of sediment is dumped into the screen and it is shaken vigorously so the fine sediment passes through. The remaining material is sifted through by hand looking for anything cultural.
    The picture on the right shows the amount of sediment removed in the first day, and all the tools placed in the hole so they will not be underfoot; the correct procedure for tools at the end of the day.

    Below are a few examples of lithic and faunal artifacts that were found this season. The flakes in the photo on the left are examples of stone flakes that could be the by-products of the tool manufacturing process and were just left on the ground. This is called debitage and can be quite small and easily missed in the excavation; demonstrating why screening of the sediment is important.
    The middle photo is a large bone that was found in-situ (in place). The remarkable thing about this bone, beyond its size, is the fact that it is hollow. This would indicate that it came from bird and, based on its size, possibly a swan or goose, which frequent the area today. The hollow was filled by sediment, which could explain why it survived intact for so long in the ground.
    The biface in the photo on the right was also found in-situ. After being measured in place, removed, and the sediment cleaned up; it was put back into place for the photo. This biface is remarkable because the tip of the point had been found the previous season in an adjacent unit.

As stated previously, where the artifact is found in the sediment is as important as the artifact itself. As the excavation proceeds, the archeologist is constantly measuring and recording the unit itself. The photo on the left shows orange staining (outlined in yellow) in the floor of the unit, which is caused by heat acting on the minerals in the sediment. This staining could be the result of a cultural fire, possibly a cooking hearth, or from a natural process (e.g. a forest fire). There are a few ways that an archeologist can differentiate between a cultural or natural fire: the presence or absence of hearth stones; the presence or absence of charred faunal material within the stain; and the presence or absence of debitage. Even if all or none of those artifacts are found, the archeologist still can not say conclusively what made the stain, so a floor map of the unit showing the stain is made. Over time and as more of the excavation is exposed, a pattern of staining could show itself and possibly indicate the cause.
The Law of Superposition states that in an undisturbed depositional sequence, the oldest materials will be at the bottom and the youngest at the top. This means that knowing where an object is verticaly in the sediment is critical to understanding "when" it was deposited. Throughout the excavation, careful measurements of the unit walls are taken to provide a map of the stratigraphy in a unit. The middle picture shows the measuring taking place mid-way through an excavation and the right photo is of a wall in a completed unit. Archeology is a destructive science with the archeologist digging through important information. Once the hole has been dug and the wall is gone, all the information the stratigraphy could provide is lost. Therefore the completed walls are measured and mapped on paper (and in this case, on film) for a record of the wall, which can provide information at a later date. For a closer look at a unit wall stratigraphy and a listing of the major strata, refer to the next paragraph.

    The picture below is a unit wall approximately 1 metre the from base to the top. Yellow lines have been added to better show the stratigraphy in the sediment . It looks like a layered cake with one type of sediment deposited onto the other, and the theory states: "All things being equal, the deeper it goes, the older it gets". In the sub-arctic though, there is one natural process that can change the soil layers dramaticaly: frost. The action of the frost can mix everything up, pulling older sediment from the deeper layers up into the younger sediment and vice versa. Archeologists have to be very careful when they record the sediment layers as they move through them.
   * The A layer is the duff which consists of decomposing vegetation and small roots.
   * The Ash is a thick layer of volcanic ash deposited by the Mt. Bona eruption, believed to be its earlier eastern lobe (c. 1900 y.b.p.) (Easton N.A.2003).
   * The B1 layer is sediment that has been chemically acted upon by leacheate from the surface.
   * The Grey/Rock layer is believed to be the remains of a coluvial event and consists of small pebbles and fine sediment.
   * The Paleosol layers are the ancient forest floors that include the cultural layers. They are characterized by their dark colours and moist and organic textures.
   * The loess layer is a packed layer of fine aolian sediment that would have blown off the retreating glaciers and settled onto the valley floor.
   * The Loess/Till layer is a mixture of fine Loess sediment and broken bedrock.
As this photo demonstrates, the layering in the ground is complicated and one can understand why a map is needed to record this mixture of sediments.

One benificial tool an archeologist can build is a floor plan of the unit(s). After the season was finished, a graph drawing was made of the two main cultural paloesols (ancient soil) and the location of each artifact was marked based on its provenience coordinates. When trying to decide on a plan for future excavation, this large map of artifacts can provide a better overview for patterns in the sediment. If the artifacts are clustered towards one end of the map (as shown in the map for the CP1 level), it may indicate a direction in which to open a new unit.