Ethnographic and Archaeological Investigations of Alpine Ice Patches in Southwest Yukon, Canada
Dates
Year
2004
Citation
Hare, P. Gregory, Greer, Sheila, Gotthardt, Ruth, Farnell, Richard, Bowyer, Vandy, Schweger, Charles, and Strand, Diane, 2004, Ethnographic and Archaeological Investigations of Alpine Ice Patches in Southwest Yukon, Canada: Arctic, v. 57, no. 3, p. 260-272.
Summary
ABSTRACT. Since the original 1997 discovery of ancient hunting implements in melting alpine ice patches of southern Yukon, approximately 146 well-preserved, organic artifacts have been recovered. Most of the artifacts, variously made of antler, bone, wood, and stone, represent complete or partial examples of throwing-dart (atlatl) and bow-and-arrow technology. Radiocarbon dates obtained thus far range from 8360 BP to 90 BP (uncalibrated). Our research indicates that in southern Yukon, throwing-dart technology persisted from at least 8360 BP to approximately 1250 BP, when it was abruptly replaced by bow-and-arrow technology. The collection has afforded archaeologists and First Nation researchers a unique opportunity to learn about past [...]
Summary
ABSTRACT. Since the original 1997 discovery of ancient hunting implements in melting alpine ice patches of southern Yukon, approximately 146 well-preserved, organic artifacts have been recovered. Most of the artifacts, variously made of antler, bone, wood, and stone, represent complete or partial examples of throwing-dart (atlatl) and bow-and-arrow technology. Radiocarbon dates obtained thus far range from 8360 BP to 90 BP (uncalibrated). Our research indicates that in southern Yukon, throwing-dart technology persisted from at least 8360 BP to approximately 1250 BP, when it was abruptly replaced by bow-and-arrow technology. The collection has afforded archaeologists and First Nation researchers a unique opportunity to learn about past hunting technologies and practices and thus greatly improve our understanding of the enduring relationships between humans and caribou. The preponderance of U-shaped slotted hafting elements on the dart shafts indicates that stone points were the preferred armature for throwing darts. Within the Ice Patch collection, only five examples of throwing-dart technology appear to incorporate bone or antler components. These include JhVl-I:!, the slotted antler point dated at 7310 BP (Fig. 8); JcUu-1:21, the unbarbed antler point dated at 3870 40 BP; JcUu-2:21, the massive antler foreshaft (Fig. 5) dated at 4360 40 BP; JhVl-1:28, an antler foreshaft dated at 3880 40 BP; and JcUu-1:17, a complete dart shaft 152 cm long with an open socket at the distal end. The open socket, with well-preserved sinew lashing, was designed to accommodate a spatulate-stemmed antler projectile point. This dart shaft is intriguing because it is radiocarbon dated at 1260 60 BP. With this date, it represents the latest appearance of throwing-dart technology and apparently heralds the transition from stone to bone/antler projectiles and the wholesale adoption of bow-and-arrow technology. When these dates are contrasted with the radiocarbon results for dart shafts (Table 2), it is clear that there is virtually no temporal overlap between atlatl and bow-and-arrow technology in southern Yukon (Fig. 12). The oldest unambiguous evidence of bow-and-arrow technology is the fragmented maple bow (JcUu-2:6) dated at 1300 + 6OBP. The most recent evidence of atlatl technology is the 126 cm long dart shaft (JcUu-1:17) discussed above and dated at 1260 60 BP. All of the recovered artifacts dated after 1200 BP are unequivocally bow-and-arrow technology.
