Flake Dispersal Experiments: Noncultural Transformation of the Archaeological Record
Time lapse studies of frost action effects on arctic and subarctic surficial archaeological sites have been conducted from 1973 to the present. Test plots of experimentally produced flakes were constructed in 1973 in the Tangle Lakes Region of the Central Alaska Range and subsequently remapped and p...
Published in: | American Antiquity |
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1983
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/280562 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731600068505 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.2307/280562 2024-05-19T07:27:40+00:00 Flake Dispersal Experiments: Noncultural Transformation of the Archaeological Record Bowers, Peter M. Bonnichsen, Robson Hoch, David M. 1983 http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/280562 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731600068505 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms American Antiquity volume 48, issue 3, page 553-572 ISSN 0002-7316 2325-5064 journal-article 1983 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.2307/280562 2024-04-25T06:51:45Z Time lapse studies of frost action effects on arctic and subarctic surficial archaeological sites have been conducted from 1973 to the present. Test plots of experimentally produced flakes were constructed in 1973 in the Tangle Lakes Region of the Central Alaska Range and subsequently remapped and photographed in 1974, 1976, and 1980. Similar test plots were laid out in the arctic foothills province of the Brooks Range. Observations made during the study period include: (1) flake displacements of as much as 20 cm/yr; (2) average minimum movement is 4 cm/yr; and (3) upslope movements were observed, suggesting that slope is not the primary factor in flake displacements. Frost heave, needle ice and, possibly, wind appear to be the dominant forces responsible for dispersals. It is argued that these and other natural processes can restructure the archaeological record into patterns that easily can be mistaken for those produced by human activity. Article in Journal/Newspaper alaska range Arctic Brooks Range Subarctic Alaska Cambridge University Press American Antiquity 48 3 553 572 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Time lapse studies of frost action effects on arctic and subarctic surficial archaeological sites have been conducted from 1973 to the present. Test plots of experimentally produced flakes were constructed in 1973 in the Tangle Lakes Region of the Central Alaska Range and subsequently remapped and photographed in 1974, 1976, and 1980. Similar test plots were laid out in the arctic foothills province of the Brooks Range. Observations made during the study period include: (1) flake displacements of as much as 20 cm/yr; (2) average minimum movement is 4 cm/yr; and (3) upslope movements were observed, suggesting that slope is not the primary factor in flake displacements. Frost heave, needle ice and, possibly, wind appear to be the dominant forces responsible for dispersals. It is argued that these and other natural processes can restructure the archaeological record into patterns that easily can be mistaken for those produced by human activity. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bowers, Peter M. Bonnichsen, Robson Hoch, David M. |
spellingShingle |
Bowers, Peter M. Bonnichsen, Robson Hoch, David M. Flake Dispersal Experiments: Noncultural Transformation of the Archaeological Record |
author_facet |
Bowers, Peter M. Bonnichsen, Robson Hoch, David M. |
author_sort |
Bowers, Peter M. |
title |
Flake Dispersal Experiments: Noncultural Transformation of the Archaeological Record |
title_short |
Flake Dispersal Experiments: Noncultural Transformation of the Archaeological Record |
title_full |
Flake Dispersal Experiments: Noncultural Transformation of the Archaeological Record |
title_fullStr |
Flake Dispersal Experiments: Noncultural Transformation of the Archaeological Record |
title_full_unstemmed |
Flake Dispersal Experiments: Noncultural Transformation of the Archaeological Record |
title_sort |
flake dispersal experiments: noncultural transformation of the archaeological record |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1983 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/280562 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731600068505 |
genre |
alaska range Arctic Brooks Range Subarctic Alaska |
genre_facet |
alaska range Arctic Brooks Range Subarctic Alaska |
op_source |
American Antiquity volume 48, issue 3, page 553-572 ISSN 0002-7316 2325-5064 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2307/280562 |
container_title |
American Antiquity |
container_volume |
48 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
553 |
op_container_end_page |
572 |
_version_ |
1799488198002343936 |