RAPID: Retrieving the Late Pleistocene/Holocene Archaeology Record at the Carpenter Mining Quarry, Interior Alaska

阿拉斯加内陆的分层考古遗址对于了解贝林贾人和美洲人至关重要。这项快速反应研究涉及从阿拉斯加内陆一个濒临破坏的多组分遗址挖掘和恢复考古、地质和古生态数据。该遗址可以追溯到晚更新世和早全新世，位于一个突出的地貌上，包含了几个时期的岩屑和保存完好的有机物质。该遗址的位置、分层和保护程度为科学家们提供了无与伦比的洞察力，让他们了解古人类对从冻土带到北方森林生态系统的适应。XBD-00456遗址将被系统地按任意水平挖掘，以记录该遗址的文化、环境和沉积历史。石器和骨器、碳和土壤样本将按照专业考古标准收集和分析。地质考古数据将为古生态重建提供信息，而石器将进行XRF分析，以表征其化学成分。回收的材料将在阿拉斯加进行整理，供研究人员和后代社区成员未来研究。结果将通过会议报告、期刊文章和后代社区传播。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Stratified archaeological sites in interior Alaska are critical to understanding the peopling of Beringia and the Americas. This rapid-response research involves the excavation and recovery of archaeological, geological, and paleoecological data from a multicomponent site in interior Alaska that is in imminent danger of destruction. Dating to the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene and located on a prominent landform, the site contains lithics and well-preserved organic materials from several time periods. The site’s location, stratification, and degree of preservation offer scientists unparalleled insights on ancient human adaptations to an ecosystem shifting from tundra to boreal forest.Site XBD-00456 will be systematically excavated by arbitrary levels to document the cultural, environmental, and depositional history of the site. Lithic and bone artifacts, carbon and soil samples will be collected and analyzed according to professional archaeological standards. Geoarchaeological data will inform paleoecological reconstruction, while lithic artifacts will undergo XRF analysis to characterize their chemical composition. Recovered materials will be curated in Alaska and accessible for future study by researchers and descendant community members. Results will be disseminated via conference presentations, journal articles, and to descendant communities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.