High Risk Exploratory: Investigation of Cape Addington Rockshelter

在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，麦当娜·莫斯博士和她的同事将在位于阿拉斯加东南部威尔士王子群岛最外层的岛屿之一诺伊斯岛的阿丁顿角半岛的一个岩石避难所进行探索性考古研究。这个地点是在1994年对汤加斯国家森林（Tongass National Forest）的一次调查中发现的。1996年，莫斯博士和同事们对这些沉积物进行了一次为期一天的简短检查。庇护所本身由约160平方米组成，天花板相当高，提供了一个宽敞舒适和干燥的居住区域。非常有限的挖掘恢复了文化材料，包括保存完好的动物遗骸。虽然在阿拉斯加的这一地区已经发现了许多考古遗址，但阿丁顿角岩洞在沉积物的保护性质和内容物的高度保存方面是独一无二的。根据确定年代的海滩线特征，该掩体很可能保存了更新世末期/全新世早期的物质。因此，它将有可能揭示该地区的整个史前历史。1977年夏季野外工作的主要目标之一将是确定考古沉积物的总深度。将在地层单位至基岩之间挖掘一条沟渠，收集所有文化材料以及贝壳、动物和植物遗骸。表面映射也将发生。将对材料进行鉴定，并提交样品进行放射性碳定年。对贝壳的同位素分析将有助于研究气候变化。阿拉斯加海岸之所以成为人类学研究的热点，有几个原因。最早从亚洲进入新大陆的人类很有可能是经过这一地区的一条路线，莫斯博士的工作有可能为新大陆的人类生活提供新的线索。丰富的沿海资源使狩猎和采集民族的文化复杂性达到了世界上其他地方无法达到的水平，人类学家几十年来一直在研究这一独特的现象。然而，在阿拉斯加，由于考古保存状况普遍不佳，人们对它的了解非常有限，因此发现一个“干”岩石掩体是极其重要的。这项研究将提供许多考古学家感兴趣的独特数据。它也有望为一个更大的研究项目奠定基础。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Madonna Moss and her colleagues will conduct exploratory archaeological research in a rock shelter located on the Cape Addington Peninsula of Noyes Island, one of the outermost islands of the Prince of Wales Archipelago in southeast Alaska. The site was discovered during a 1994 survey of the Tongass National Forest and in 1996 Dr. Moss and colleagues carried out a brief, one day examination of the deposits. The shelter itself consists of ca. 160 square meters and the ceiling is quite high, providing a roomy comfortable and dry occupation area. Very limited excavation recovered cultural material, including faunal remains in an excellent state of preservation. Although many archaeological sites have been discovered in this part of Alaska, the Cape Addington rockshelter is unique in the protected nature of the sediments and the high degree of preservation of the contents. Based on the presence of well dated beachline features, it is quite possible that the shelter preserves terminal Pleistocene/Early Holocene materials. It thus would have the potential to shed light on the entire prehistory of the region. One of the primary goals for fieldwork during the summer of 1977 will be to determine the total depth of the archaeological deposit. A trench will be excavated in stratigraphic units to bedrock and all cultural material as well as shells, faunal and floral remains will be collected. Surface mapping will also take place. Material will be identified and samples submitted for radiocarbon dating. Isotopic analysis of shell will permit investigation of climate change. Coastal Alaska is of anthropological interest for several reasons. It is highly likely that the earliest humans to enter the New World from Asia utilized a route through this region and Dr. Moss' work has potential to shed new light on the peopling of the New World. Rich coastal resources permitted hunting and gathering peoples to reach a level of cultural complexity unknown elsewhere in the world at this level of subsistence and for decades anthropologists have studied this unique phenomenon. In Alaska however knowledge is severely limited because of the generally poor state of archaeological preservation and therefore the discovery of a `dry` rock shelter is extremely important. This research will provide unique data of interest to many archaeologists. It will also, hopefully, set the stage for a larger research project.