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诺伊斯岛阿丁顿角半岛的一个岩石避难所进行探索性考古研究，诺伊斯岛是阿拉斯加东南部威尔士亲王群岛最外层的岛屿之一。该遗址是在1994年对汤加斯国家森林进行调查时发现的，1996年莫斯博士和同事对这些矿床进行了为期一天的简短检查。住房本身由CA。160平方米，天花板相当高，提供了一个宽敞舒适和干燥的居住区。通过非常有限的挖掘，恢复了文化材料，包括保存状况良好的动物遗骸。虽然在阿拉斯加的这一地区发现了许多考古遗址，但阿丁顿角的岩石掩体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。根据存在的日期明确的海滩线特征，很有可能庇护所保存了更新世末/全新世早期的材料。因此，它有可能揭示该地区的整个史前史。 1977年夏天，野外工作的主要目标之一是确定考古存款的总深度。将按地层单位挖掘一条沟渠，直至基岩，并收集所有文化材料以及贝壳、动物和植物遗骸。也将进行表面映射。将对材料进行鉴定，并提交样品进行放射性碳测年。贝壳的同位素分析将有助于调查气候变化。 阿拉斯加沿海地区具有人类学意义有几个原因。最早从亚洲进入新世界的人类很可能是通过这一地区的路线进入的，莫斯博士的工作有可能为新世界的人口提供新的线索。丰富的沿海资源使狩猎和采集民族能够达到世界上其他地方所没有的文化复杂程度，达到这种生存水平，几十年来人类学家一直在研究这种独特的现象。然而，在阿拉斯加，由于考古学保存状况普遍较差，知识受到严重限制，因此发现“干”岩石庇护所极为重要。 这项研究将提供许多考古学家感兴趣的独特数据。希望它也能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.