Context and Environment in Taphonomic Analysis: Examples from Alaska's Porcupine River Caves
Field investigations of caves along Alaska's Porcupine River document three major mechanisms which modify bone in patterns similar to alterations produced by man: (1) carnivore fracture; (2) rodent gnawing; and (3) rock fall and rubble scarring. A late Wisconsin faunal assemblage composed of Eq...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1984
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(84)90040-1 http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589484900401?httpAccept=text/xml http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589484900401?httpAccept=text/plain https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400016823 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1016/0033-5894(84)90040-1 2024-06-09T07:49:10+00:00 Context and Environment in Taphonomic Analysis: Examples from Alaska's Porcupine River Caves Dixon, E. James 1984 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(84)90040-1 http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589484900401?httpAccept=text/xml http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589484900401?httpAccept=text/plain https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400016823 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Quaternary Research volume 22, issue 2, page 201-215 ISSN 0033-5894 1096-0287 journal-article 1984 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(84)90040-1 2024-05-15T13:03:33Z Field investigations of caves along Alaska's Porcupine River document three major mechanisms which modify bone in patterns similar to alterations produced by man: (1) carnivore fracture; (2) rodent gnawing; and (3) rock fall and rubble scarring. A late Wisconsin faunal assemblage composed of Equus sp., Rangifer tarandus, Ovis dalli, Bison sp., proboscidean, numerous small mammal species, birds, and fish is well documented. This faunal assemblage suggests a mosaic environment of grassland-tundra-forest in the immediate vicinity of these caves and implies that the late Wisconsin environment in north-central Alaska may have been characterized by a number of microenvironments and colder, dryer, steppe conditions. Taphonomic data which have historically been interpreted to support human occupation of eastern Beringia during the Pleistocene are critically examined and the context of these discoveries (not the specimens themselves) provides the test essential to document the antiquity of man in North America prior to 12,000 yr ago. Article in Journal/Newspaper Porcupine River Rangifer tarandus Tundra Alaska Beringia Cambridge University Press Quaternary Research 22 2 201 215 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Field investigations of caves along Alaska's Porcupine River document three major mechanisms which modify bone in patterns similar to alterations produced by man: (1) carnivore fracture; (2) rodent gnawing; and (3) rock fall and rubble scarring. A late Wisconsin faunal assemblage composed of Equus sp., Rangifer tarandus, Ovis dalli, Bison sp., proboscidean, numerous small mammal species, birds, and fish is well documented. This faunal assemblage suggests a mosaic environment of grassland-tundra-forest in the immediate vicinity of these caves and implies that the late Wisconsin environment in north-central Alaska may have been characterized by a number of microenvironments and colder, dryer, steppe conditions. Taphonomic data which have historically been interpreted to support human occupation of eastern Beringia during the Pleistocene are critically examined and the context of these discoveries (not the specimens themselves) provides the test essential to document the antiquity of man in North America prior to 12,000 yr ago. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dixon, E. James |
spellingShingle |
Dixon, E. James Context and Environment in Taphonomic Analysis: Examples from Alaska's Porcupine River Caves |
author_facet |
Dixon, E. James |
author_sort |
Dixon, E. James |
title |
Context and Environment in Taphonomic Analysis: Examples from Alaska's Porcupine River Caves |
title_short |
Context and Environment in Taphonomic Analysis: Examples from Alaska's Porcupine River Caves |
title_full |
Context and Environment in Taphonomic Analysis: Examples from Alaska's Porcupine River Caves |
title_fullStr |
Context and Environment in Taphonomic Analysis: Examples from Alaska's Porcupine River Caves |
title_full_unstemmed |
Context and Environment in Taphonomic Analysis: Examples from Alaska's Porcupine River Caves |
title_sort |
context and environment in taphonomic analysis: examples from alaska's porcupine river caves |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1984 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(84)90040-1 http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589484900401?httpAccept=text/xml http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589484900401?httpAccept=text/plain https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400016823 |
genre |
Porcupine River Rangifer tarandus Tundra Alaska Beringia |
genre_facet |
Porcupine River Rangifer tarandus Tundra Alaska Beringia |
op_source |
Quaternary Research volume 22, issue 2, page 201-215 ISSN 0033-5894 1096-0287 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(84)90040-1 |
container_title |
Quaternary Research |
container_volume |
22 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
201 |
op_container_end_page |
215 |
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1801381428826472448 |