Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Legacy of the Gulkana Site: Collaborative Digital Archaeology and Northern Dene Technology

Gulkana考古遗址（gull -077）为亚北极地区的金属加工创新提供了早期和重要的证据。在阿拉斯加-育空地区发现的所有接触前铜制品中，有近三分之一是在gull -077发现的。因此，该遗址对于了解北迪尼人的技术适应以及北美金属加工的起源和发展具有重要的考古意义。Gulkana遗址对Ahtna人也很有意义，他们是该遗址居民的后裔。通过应用数字技术并与Ahtna社区合作来解读该遗址，该项目将提高对阿拉斯加土著金属加工的了解，并使考古学家、Ahtna人以及更广泛的公众更容易获得以前对北迪尼技术创新研究的遗产记录。本研究的目的是：了解Gulkana遗址的铜技术；使用行为框架对站点进行空间分析；并与Ahtna社区和组织合作，解释现场资料并管理结果数据。工程的第一阶段包括将与遗址有关的挖掘记录数码化，并制作遗址地图；这些活动将通过实习和年度青年营为社区参与提供机会。阶段2采用空间分析来确定活动区域，以了解铜和其他人工制品类型在场地内的分布。研究结果将协同解释，以促进对北方Dene技术的理解。更广泛的影响包括为初中生提供培训和体验式学习，并通过外展活动加强当地对Ahtna历史的参与。结果将通过论文和协作会议演示传播。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Gulkana archaeological site (GUL-077) presents early and significant evidence for metalworking innovation in the Subarctic. Nearly one third of all pre-contact copper artifacts recovered from the Alaska-Yukon region were found at GUL-077. The site is therefore important to archaeological understanding of Northern Dene technological adaptation as well as the origins and development of metalworking in North America more generally. The Gulkana site is also meaningful to the Ahtna, who are descended from the site’s inhabitants. By applying digital techniques and collaborating with Ahtna communities to interpret the site, this project will advance knowledge of Indigenous metalworking in Alaska and make legacy records of previous research on Northern Dene technological innovation more accessible to archaeologists, Ahtna people, and the broader public.The objectives of this research are to: understand copper technologies at the Gulkana site; conduct spatial analysis of the site using a behavioral framework; and work collaboratively with Ahtna communities and organizations to interpret site materials and manage resulting data. Phase 1 of the project involves digitization of the excavation records associated with the site and creation of a site map; these activities will provide opportunities for community engagement through internships and annual youth camps. Phase 2 employs spatial analysis to identify activity areas to understand distribution of copper and other artifact types within the site. Findings will be collaboratively interpreted to advance understanding of Northern Dene technology. Broader impacts include training and experiential learning for middle-grade youth and enhanced local engagement with the Ahtna past through outreach activities. Results will be disseminated through a dissertation and a collaborative conference presentation.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.