| Summary: | Portland State University (PSU), led by Shelby Anderson, collaborated with several other institutions on a three year (2015-2018) multidisciplinary program of research to explore human interaction, settlement history, climate and landscape dynamics in relation to the Birnirk archaeological complex of northern Alaska, ca. AD 1000 (Figure 1). This is the second of two collaborative projects at the Cape, the first conducted from 2009-2011). The Cape Espenberg site complex is comprised of multiple components spanning ca. 4,500 BP to recent (Alix et al. 2018)(Figure 1). After a period of hiatus, the Birnirk site (KTZ-304) at Cape Espenberg was occupied at a pivotal cultural and environmental moment in Northwest Alaska and the larger Bering Sea region, just before 950 BP and prior to the emergence of Iñupiaq culture around 650 BP. Cape Espenberg is a key location for this cultural history both because of the presence of Ipiutak, Birnirk and Thule archaeological sites and as ancestral land of today’s Kigiqtaamiut of Shishmaref. The major goals of the project were to use interrelated and integrated analytical approaches involving cultural and physical anthropology, archaeology and paleoecology to: 1) form the framework for continued excavation at site KTZ-304; 2) contribute to study architectural features, archaeofauna, ceramics, and artifacts in order to elucidate social networks, subsistence systems and technology, and to understand the impact of climate and resource availability on peoples activities, decisions and movements; 3) guide the collecting of paleoenvironmental data through targeted sampling of swales and ridges to date dune ridge stabilization, reconstruct terrestrial vegetation and map the location of the ocean relative to the site; 4) integrate ancient DNA (aDNA) studies to establish the broader genetic relationships of Inuit societies in the region and beyond; 5) explore how Kigiqtaamiut interpret material culture to understand the past, narrate history and generate knowledge; 6) foster a dialog on the role of material culture today in the community of Shishmaref and in between the Kigiqtaamiut and the scientists to construct more reflexive interpretations of the past, and thus; 7) advance understanding of the origin of Inupiaq culture through the development of a high-resolution chronology of settlement and landscape formation, cultural shift and climate variation. PSU was responsible for research on ceramic materials recovered from the excavation and for coordinating lipid and isotope analyses of ceramics and sediments as part of project research on diet, food processing, and fuel use. The goals of ceramic technological analysis were to address questions about Birnirk and Ancestral Iñupiaq (Thule) subsistence and technology, with broader implications for interpreting seasonal movements and interaction with other people around region. Ceramic technology was adopted in Alaska as early as 2800-2500 years BP and became prevalent after 1500 BP in the Birnirk (ca. 950 BP) and Thule periods (ca. 650 BP). Pre-1500 BP vessels are thin-walled, mineral tempered, with globular shape; post-1,500 B.P vessels are thick-walled, flower-pot shaped, with flat bottoms and straight walls. Changes in vessel construction and morphology may represent cultural shifts in subsistence and food preparation practices, that could relate to cultural, environmental, and settlement pattern shifts over time.
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