Paleoindians in Beringia: Evidence from Arctic Alaska
Excavations at the Mesa site in arctic Alaska provide evidence for a Paleoindian occupation of Beringia, the region adjacent to the Bering Strait. Eleven carbon-14 dates on hearths associated with Paleoindian projectile points place humans at the site between 9,730 and 11,660 radiocarbon years befor...
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
1994
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.263.5147.660 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.263.5147.660 |
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craaas:10.1126/science.263.5147.660 2024-03-31T07:50:38+00:00 Paleoindians in Beringia: Evidence from Arctic Alaska Kunz, Michael L. Reanier, Richard E. 1994 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.263.5147.660 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.263.5147.660 en eng American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science volume 263, issue 5147, page 660-662 ISSN 0036-8075 1095-9203 Multidisciplinary journal-article 1994 craaas https://doi.org/10.1126/science.263.5147.660 2024-03-06T00:01:21Z Excavations at the Mesa site in arctic Alaska provide evidence for a Paleoindian occupation of Beringia, the region adjacent to the Bering Strait. Eleven carbon-14 dates on hearths associated with Paleoindian projectile points place humans at the site between 9,730 and 11,660 radiocarbon years before present (years B.P.). The presence of Paleoindians in Beringia at these times challenges the notion that Paleoindian cultures arose exclusively in mid-continental North America. The age span of Paleoindians at the Mesa site overlaps with dates from two other cultural complexes in interior Alaska. A hiatus in the record of human occupation occurs between 10,300 and 11,000 years B.P. Late Glacial climatic fluctuations may have made northern Alaska temporarily unfavorable for humans and spurred their southward dispersal. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Bering Strait Alaska Beringia AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Arctic Bering Strait Science 263 5147 660 662 |
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Open Polar |
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AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) |
op_collection_id |
craaas |
language |
English |
topic |
Multidisciplinary |
spellingShingle |
Multidisciplinary Kunz, Michael L. Reanier, Richard E. Paleoindians in Beringia: Evidence from Arctic Alaska |
topic_facet |
Multidisciplinary |
description |
Excavations at the Mesa site in arctic Alaska provide evidence for a Paleoindian occupation of Beringia, the region adjacent to the Bering Strait. Eleven carbon-14 dates on hearths associated with Paleoindian projectile points place humans at the site between 9,730 and 11,660 radiocarbon years before present (years B.P.). The presence of Paleoindians in Beringia at these times challenges the notion that Paleoindian cultures arose exclusively in mid-continental North America. The age span of Paleoindians at the Mesa site overlaps with dates from two other cultural complexes in interior Alaska. A hiatus in the record of human occupation occurs between 10,300 and 11,000 years B.P. Late Glacial climatic fluctuations may have made northern Alaska temporarily unfavorable for humans and spurred their southward dispersal. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kunz, Michael L. Reanier, Richard E. |
author_facet |
Kunz, Michael L. Reanier, Richard E. |
author_sort |
Kunz, Michael L. |
title |
Paleoindians in Beringia: Evidence from Arctic Alaska |
title_short |
Paleoindians in Beringia: Evidence from Arctic Alaska |
title_full |
Paleoindians in Beringia: Evidence from Arctic Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Paleoindians in Beringia: Evidence from Arctic Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Paleoindians in Beringia: Evidence from Arctic Alaska |
title_sort |
paleoindians in beringia: evidence from arctic alaska |
publisher |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
publishDate |
1994 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.263.5147.660 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.263.5147.660 |
geographic |
Arctic Bering Strait |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Bering Strait |
genre |
Arctic Bering Strait Alaska Beringia |
genre_facet |
Arctic Bering Strait Alaska Beringia |
op_source |
Science volume 263, issue 5147, page 660-662 ISSN 0036-8075 1095-9203 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.263.5147.660 |
container_title |
Science |
container_volume |
263 |
container_issue |
5147 |
container_start_page |
660 |
op_container_end_page |
662 |
_version_ |
1795028959372509184 |