CAREER: Reconstructing Subsistence, Diet Breadth, and Paleoclimate in Interior Alaska during Social and Climatic Transitions

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This project refines reconstructions of subsistence traditions in central Alaska by applying traditional knowledge and isotopic analysis to the interpretation of archaeological hearth remains. Isotopic data from over fifty legacy collections and remains of experimental cooking features will be analyzed to reconstruct past subsistence practices. Experimental and legacy hearth residues will be compared with newly excavated hearths recovered through targeted excavations at two sites in different ecological settings in the middle Tanana Valley. Research will be combined with mentorship and hands-on learning opportunities for Alaska Native youth at summer culture camps. Undergraduate and graduate students as well as one post-doctoral researcher will benefit from field- and lab-based training and educational opportunities.This project employs 1) isotopic and molecular analysis of legacy and experimental hearth remains; 2) targeted excavation at two sites in central Alaska, Swan Point and Niidhaayh Na’; 3) analysis of newly recovered archaeological materials; and 4) interpretation and synthesis of results with community stakeholders. The isotopic, molecular, macrobotanical, and artifactual data collected during this project will be used to reconstruct late Pleistocene and early Holocene subsistence, diet breadth, and paleoclimate. The PI will test hypotheses regarding use of upland and lowland ecological zones and resource availability relative to environmental conditions and demographic pressures. Anticipated outcomes include a traveling educational exhibit, peer-reviewed journal articles, multiple research assistantships and master’s theses, one dissertation, and two years of training, mentorship, and research experience for a postdoctoral scholar. This award positions a promising researcher for an interdisciplinary STEM career as an engaged teacher and productive Arctic scientist.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.