Geist Fund
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/5262
2024-03-29T02:40:28ZNenana River Gorge Site HEA-62 : Preliminary Report on Archaeological Investigations 1975
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/5305
Nenana River Gorge Site HEA-62 : Preliminary Report on Archaeological Investigations 1975
Plaskett, David C.
The Nenana River Gorge Site (HEA-62) was discovered in June of 1974
while Dr. Thomas D. Hamilton and I were hiking in the Moody landslide
area near Healy, Alaska. The site was partially destroyed by a cut that
was made through a point of land near the southern end of the Nenana River
Gorge during railroad construction. The great amount of cultural debris
that was exposed by this cut and subsequent erosion led to our detection
of fire cracked rocks, bone and artifacts on the surface near the erosional
cut (Figs. 2 and 3). In the days following discovery of the site,
additional surface material was collected and one 1 X 2 meter test pit was
excavated to determine the site's approximate extent, cultural affinity,
and stratigraphic position. From cultural material recovered on the
surface and in the test excavation, it was assumed that the site was
recent in time and probably an Athapaskan campsite of protohistoric age.
This initial surface collection included obsidian and chert flakes, a
stemmed projectile point, several pottery sherds, boulder spalls, Tci-
Tho's, hammerstones, a coin, and large quantities of large mammal bone,
including some specimens with saw cut marks. From the test excavation
obsidian flakes, large mammal bones, and charcoal were found at a depth
of approximately 50 to 60 centimeters below the present ground surface.
During the winter of 1974-75 I decided to conduct an archaeological
investigation of HEA-62 the following summer as a thesis project for my
M.A. degree in Anthropology at the University of Alaska. This site was
selected for several reasons. First among the reasons for selecting this
site was the fact that it appeared to be an Athapaskan hunting campsite
and very little specific information was known about these camps. Another
important consideration was that the site was buried and with this
protective cover, as well as an apparent spatial dimension to the site,
it appeared possible that activity specific areas might be detected.
Other reasons for selecting this site included the absence of knowledge
concerning the late prehistory of this area, the rapid rate of erosion
and destruction occuring at the site, and potential contributions to
paleoenvironmental reconstructions in this area which could be gained
from excavation of the site.
Excavation was conducted at HEA-62 throughout the 1975 field season
with support of a grant from the University of Alaska Museum's Geist
Fund and the generous efforts of volunteer excavators. Mr. Eugene West
was my field colleague throughout most of the field season and worked
diligently and tirelessly while offering suggestions, comments and
insights. Ms. Ruth Croxton was another person of immeasurable aid and
contributed in excavation as well as handling logistic and supply functions
necessary for successful fieldwork. Mr. Terry Dickey generously gave
time, experience, and photographic assistance to the excavation at several
times throughout the field season. Others who contributed unselfishly
and eagerly include Don Arthur, Krisse Arthur, Russ Sackett, JoAnn Adams,
George Smith, Denise Smith, Arturo Frizzera, Kathy Kirby, Terry Choy,
Charles Utermohle, Sharon West, Bob Besse, Dirk_Hood, Roxanne Turner,
Cindy Quisenberry, Dave Quisenberry, Janie Pearson, Ann Wien, and Ricki
Marksheffel. The backfilling crew merits special consideration for this
3,
thankless task. Thank Mary Croxton, Harvey Shields, Ruth Croxton, and
Robert Thorson. Dr. Thomas D. Hamilton and Mr. Robert M. Thorson contributed
geological insights and interpretation at the site. Robert Thorson
spent additional time at the end of the field season continuing research
in the area and further exploring the site geology.
The Nenana River Gorge Site, which is located at Mile 353.2 on the
Alaska Railroad or Mile 241 on the Fairbanks-Anchorage Highway, has been
referenced with several different designations during the short time that
it has been known. Initially, when the site was reported to the Alaska
State Division of Parks in 1974, it was given the state inventory number
HEA-13. During the winter of 1974-75 I sent information concerning the
Nenana River Gorge Site to the Alaska State Division of Parks and at that
time the site wa3 re-listed on the inventory as HEA-62. The site has
also been listed on the inventory printout as the Nenana River Gorge and
the Dry Creek Gorge. These problems have hopefully now been resolved
and the Nenana River Gorge Site is now officially designated HEA-62 in the
Alaska State Division of Parks Cultural Heritage Inventory. At the
University of Alaska Museum the site has received designations for the
years 1974 and 1975. The 1974 designation was UA-74-25 and the 1975
designation was UA-75-45. The use of multiple designations for an
archaeological site within the State Division of Parks and the University
of Alaska is complicated and confusing. Mr. E. James Dixon, Jr.,
Curator of Archeology for the University of Alaska Museum, is working on
this problem and hopefully, in the near future, will have the matter
resolved.
The 1975 investigations at the Nenana River Gorge Site included
excavation of a prehistoric Athapaskan component, excavation of a
sporadic historic component, detection of two additional site localities,
recovery of stratigraphic and geological information, survey and mapping
of the site area, collection of palynological samples, collection and
recording of present flora and fauna, and the collection of dendrochronological
samples for climatological and dating correlations. This report
is a tentative outline of these investigations and is necessarily bounded
by incompleteness due to the present stage of analysis of the site material.
At this time the faunal analysis is in progress, C14 dates are not yet
available, and the descriptive information is being completed. This work
is in progress and will be completed in the near future.
The field season began on May 16 when we drove out of Fairbanks
with our truckload of equipment and supplies. This year had a late
spring, but the snow cover of the previous winter had completely melted
at HEA-62 except for isolated patches. Our camp was established
approximately 30 meters west of the site. We experienced several light
snowfalls at this early time of the season. By the first week in June
everything had greened out and summer was in full control. During the
summer, a total of fifty-one days were spent in direct investigation of
the site. The size of the excavation crew oscillated from one excavator
alone, at times, to four or five excavators on rare days, with two excavators
being the most frequent situation. Excavation was completed on forty-eight
one-meter squares and these ranged in depth from 55 to 110 centimeters
in the main excavation area. One 1 X 1.5 meter square was excavated to a
depth of 5.25 meters. Although the main excavation was concentrated near
the area of erosion resulting from the railroad cut (see site map),
several other localities were discovered and tested. The main excavation
area is designated Locality I. Locality II is on the ridge above the
main site area and on the west side of the highway. Locality III is on
the ridge and the east side of the highway. The 1975 field season was
completed on September 1 when backfilling was completed in the main
excavation area (Locality I) and our camp was disassembled. By the last
week in August snow was falling daily above 3,000 feet on the surrounding
mountains.
1976-01-01T00:00:00Z