Maiyumerak Creek: late prehistoric subsistence and seasonality in northwest Alaska

• Main Author: Shirar, Scott
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: Arctic; Cape Krusenstern; Fairbanks; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11122/5568

Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2007 The Maiyumerak Creek Site (XBM-131) is a late prehistoric site located near the confluence of Maiyumerak Creek and the Noatak River in the Noatak National Preserve, Alaska. Excavations conducted at the site by the National Park Service during the 2006 field season focused on one of eight identified house pits. This thesis focuses on the faunal remains and artifacts collected from the living floor of this house (House Pit 8). The analysis centers on answering how subsistence resource use is reflected in the artifact and faunal assemblages and the relationship between these two classes of data. I also analyze the faunal remains to make an assessment of site seasonality. 1. Introduction and previous research in Northwest Alaska -- Introduction -- The Arctic woodland culture of the Kobuk River -- The Onion Portage Site -- The Kayák Site -- The Ivisahpat site -- The archaeology of Cape Krusenstern -- The archaeology of the Noatak River Drainage -- Ethnographic accounts of the region -- Seasonal rounds -- Summer -- Fall -- Winter -- Spring -- Data gaps -- 2. The Maiyumerak Creek Site (XBM-00131) -- Location and description -- Regional setting -- Previous work and excavation methods -- House Pit 8 stratigraphy -- Radiocarbon dating at the Maiyumerak Creek Site -- 3. Research themes -- Introduction -- Research questions -- Data requirements -- 4. Methods -- Sampling -- Faunal identification and quantification -- Artifact identification and quantification -- Seasonality data -- Caching -- Taphonomy -- 5. Faunal remains from House Pit 8 -- Data summary -- Terrestrial mammals -- Marine mammals -- Birds -- Fish -- Interpretation and discussion -- 6. Subsistence artifacts from House Pit 8 -- Data summary -- Terrestrial mammals -- Marine mammals -- Birds -- Fish -- Interpretation and discussion -- 7. Seasonality of House Pit 8 -- Data summary -- Fish -- Birds -- Terrestrial mammals -- Interpretation and discussion -- 8. Summary and conclusion -- Data comparison -- ...