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The role of salmon fishing in the adoption of pottery technology in subarctic Alaska

Admiraal, Marjolein ; Jordan, Peter LU orcid ; Talbot, Helene M ; Bondetti, Manon ; Serna, Alejandro ; Taché, Karine ; von Tersch, Matthew ; Hendy, Jessica ; McGrath, Krista and Craig, Oliver E. , et al. (2023) In Journal of Archaeological Science 157.
Abstract
Ceramic technology makes an abrupt appearance in the New World Arctic at circa 2800 cal BP. While there is general consensus that the ultimate source of these Alaskan pottery traditions lay in continental NE Asia, the motivations for the adoption of pottery in Alaska have remained unclear. Through organic residue analysis we investigated the function of Norton pottery in Southwest Alaska, and the extent to which its function changed in later periods under the increasing northern influence of Thule culture in the region (from ca. 1000 cal BP). Our results show clear evidence of aquatic resource processing in all pottery vessels. Regional variability due to environmental and ecological differences are apparent in the pottery. The majority of... (More)
Ceramic technology makes an abrupt appearance in the New World Arctic at circa 2800 cal BP. While there is general consensus that the ultimate source of these Alaskan pottery traditions lay in continental NE Asia, the motivations for the adoption of pottery in Alaska have remained unclear. Through organic residue analysis we investigated the function of Norton pottery in Southwest Alaska, and the extent to which its function changed in later periods under the increasing northern influence of Thule culture in the region (from ca. 1000 cal BP). Our results show clear evidence of aquatic resource processing in all pottery vessels. Regional variability due to environmental and ecological differences are apparent in the pottery. The majority of Norton pottery was from inland riverine locations and the function of this early pottery was to process anadromous fish, with only limited evidence of other resources. After 1000 cal BP more sites appear on the coast, and while pottery technology changes dramatically at this time, this is not as clear in pottery function which remains aimed at local abundant aquatic resources. We hypothesize that pottery was adopted into Alaska as part of a riverine adaptation and suggest that targeted human exploitation of large riverine systems may have facilitated its expansion into Southwest Alaska. Furthermore, we suggest that this pattern might extend back into Siberia where Alaskan pottery originates. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Archaeological Science
volume
157
article number
105824
pages
11 pages
publisher
Academic Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85165281836
ISSN
1095-9238
DOI
10.1016/j.jas.2023.105824
project
POSTGLACIAL: Comparative Perspectives on Cultural Responses to Postglacial Warming in Northern Eurasia
Maritime Networks and Emergent Identities in the North Pacific Rim
Global Station for Indigenous Studies and Cultural Diversity
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
faf83641-8cdf-4d64-ab5c-a75f977d6b2c
date added to LUP
2023-07-21 08:29:40
date last changed
2023-09-05 09:36:58
@article{faf83641-8cdf-4d64-ab5c-a75f977d6b2c,
  abstract     = {{Ceramic technology makes an abrupt appearance in the New World Arctic at circa 2800 cal BP. While there is general consensus that the ultimate source of these Alaskan pottery traditions lay in continental NE Asia, the motivations for the adoption of pottery in Alaska have remained unclear. Through organic residue analysis we investigated the function of Norton pottery in Southwest Alaska, and the extent to which its function changed in later periods under the increasing northern influence of Thule culture in the region (from ca. 1000 cal BP). Our results show clear evidence of aquatic resource processing in all pottery vessels. Regional variability due to environmental and ecological differences are apparent in the pottery. The majority of Norton pottery was from inland riverine locations and the function of this early pottery was to process anadromous fish, with only limited evidence of other resources. After 1000 cal BP more sites appear on the coast, and while pottery technology changes dramatically at this time, this is not as clear in pottery function which remains aimed at local abundant aquatic resources. We hypothesize that pottery was adopted into Alaska as part of a riverine adaptation and suggest that targeted human exploitation of large riverine systems may have facilitated its expansion into Southwest Alaska. Furthermore, we suggest that this pattern might extend back into Siberia where Alaskan pottery originates.}},
  author       = {{Admiraal, Marjolein and Jordan, Peter and Talbot, Helene M and Bondetti, Manon and Serna, Alejandro and Taché, Karine and von Tersch, Matthew and Hendy, Jessica and McGrath, Krista and Craig, Oliver E. and Lucquin, Alexandre}},
  issn         = {{1095-9238}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  publisher    = {{Academic Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Archaeological Science}},
  title        = {{The role of salmon fishing in the adoption of pottery technology in subarctic Alaska}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2023.105824}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jas.2023.105824}},
  volume       = {{157}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}