Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Sewer repairs reveal early visitors to Sitka? [Paleolithic Alaska?]
KCAW ^ | July 28, 2011 | Robert Woolsey

Posted on 08/02/2011 7:38:46 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

An anthropologist has found what she believes are stone tools in a street excavation in downtown Sitka. The finds -- if they are confirmed -- could help shed light on Paleolithic humans who either lived in, or passed through, the region... "It's a simple tool where you have a certain kind of rock, and you drop that rock on another rock and a flake comes off. And if it's nice and sharp along there you'll use it for a while. You grip it like that -- use it as a skin scraper, or for whatever you're scraping. Then, when it gets worn out, you throw it away," says Nancy Yaw Davis, an anthropologist by trade, and an archaeologist by coincidence. She's standing next to a trench in Sitka's Monastery Street, about a block from her home. The rock, called a "boulder chip" is absolutely unremarkable... Next she shows me a stone point, called a "biface." ...Davis honed her eye for stone tools working for years in the Cook Inlet area. She holds a Master's degree from the University of Chicago, and a Doctorate from the University of Washington. She's the author of numerous publications, including a major book exploring connections between prehistoric cultures in Japan and the Americas called "The Zuni Enigma." ...River meandering, glacial rebound, volcanic activity, and dramatic sea level changes have all affected the landform. Close to where Davis found the possible stone tools is what appears to be a deposit of beach cobble. It could be an ancient river beach, or it could be fill from previous sewer work. Because this site has been disturbed many times, it doesn't really matter. In archaeology, as in real estate, it's sometimes location, location, location.

(Excerpt) Read more at kcaw.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; preclovis; precolumbian

Thanks .
Davis holds a boulder chip. [Image by Robert Woolsey]

Sewer repairs reveal early visitors to Sitka?

1 posted on 08/02/2011 7:38:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Paleolithic

Noun 1. Paleolithic — second part of the Stone Age beginning about 750,00 to 500,000 years BC and lasting until the end of the last ice age about 8,500 years BC

Palaeolithic, Paleolithic Age

Stone Age — (archeology) the earliest known period of human culture, characterized by the use of stone implements

Lower Paleolithic — the oldest part of the Paleolithic Age with the emergence of the hand ax; ended about 120,000 years ago

Middle Paleolithic — the time period of Neanderthal man; ended about 35,000 years BC

Upper Paleolithic — the time period during which only modern Homo sapiens was known to have existed; ended about 10,000 years BC


2 posted on 08/02/2011 7:40:15 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]


paleolithic diet
Google

3 posted on 08/02/2011 7:40:19 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

 GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.


4 posted on 08/02/2011 7:41:10 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Early visitors to Alaska had sewers?

Built well too!

If there just now needing repair....


5 posted on 08/02/2011 7:43:03 PM PDT by G Larry (I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his character)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: G Larry

They also had wireless internet. That’s why you can’t find any wires.


6 posted on 08/02/2011 7:47:39 PM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Interesting. I have a Neanderthal hand axe in my collection.


7 posted on 08/02/2011 7:58:18 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (My greatest fear is that when I'm gone my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Inyo-Mono; SunkenCiv
Somewhere around here I have a stone that had been used as a handaxe. It was not terribly worn. Hard to tell which culture since we found it in an area with a lot of Clovis material as well as Early Woodland.

It's fun to have such things around for the guests. Growing up my folks used an ancient Indian grind stone as a door stop.

8 posted on 08/02/2011 8:14:33 PM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Grizzled Bear

If you read past the headlines it spoils all of the fun.

(learning to be liberal)


9 posted on 08/02/2011 8:18:57 PM PDT by G Larry (I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his character)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
Upper Paleolithic — the time period during which only modern Homo sapiens was known to have existed; ended about 10,000 years BC

I totally agree!

10 posted on 08/02/2011 8:27:30 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
"...Then, when it gets worn out, you throw it away,"

No wonder we have global warming, hey didn't recycle.

11 posted on 08/02/2011 8:46:13 PM PDT by Doomonyou (Let them eat Lead.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

“It’s a simple tool where you have a certain kind of rock, and you drop that rock on another rock and a flake comes off.”

That’s the extent of my knapping skill. My boy wanted to try skinning an elk with such a chip, so I banged on an obsidian nodule until I got a large comfortable chip with one incredible razor edge. And did that thing ever slice and skin an elk! It would run up the inside of a leg faster than a knife.

Of course then he wanted some points for the longbow I made him. That was embarrassing. We did manage to get one that was roughly triangular, with one extra side, and he was satisfied to see it on his cedar arrow.


12 posted on 08/02/2011 9:49:16 PM PDT by eartrumpet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson