There is more than a bit of a crisis in high altitude and high latitude archaeology in North America these days, and it has to do with rapidly melting snow and ice. Basically, the rapid melting caused by global warming is exposing organic artifacts and human remains long preserved, making them susceptible to rapid decomposition or destruction by other natural processes. There are some efforts by committed researchers to salvage what they can, but it may not be enough.
Significant interest in the archaeological remains being exposed in melting ice and snow in North America began about 15 years ago, primarily in Alaska and the Yukon. Particular areas of interest include melting glaciers, ice-patches (non-moving ice), and perennially frozen snow. There are likely thousands of such locations in North America, especially in the northern latitudes (eg. Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories) and high altitudes of the western states and British Columbia.
It often takes a decade or more for ideas, theories, and subfields to gain credibility, support, or widespread interest, and the interest in the remains being exposed by melting ice and snow appears to be cresting now. Witness, for example, scholarly conferences focused on the topic, such as Frozen Pasts, the 3rd international symposium on glacial archaeology held in Whitehorse, Yukon in June 2012; the increasing number of articles in scholarly publications, such as a special issue of Arctic: Journal of the Arctic Institute of North America focusing on the archaeology of ice patches. (vol 65, supplement 1, 2012); and considerable popular media interest in particular finds, such as the discovery of a 10,000 year old atlatl dart in a ice patch in the Rocky Mountains near Yellowstone National Park by Craig Lee, a research associate at the University of Colorado’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of artifacts, mostly organic, have been recovered by a relatively small numbers of archaeologists focusing their attention on North American glaciers and ice patches. The significance of these finds is high. Besides furthering basic timelines for occupation in specific regions, the artifacts and associated faunal remains add considerable insight into organic material culture and they increase our understanding of past human activities in areas hitherto receiving little attention and largely considered to be devoid of cultural activity such as among patches of perennial snow and ice.
Two well-illustrated recent publications available on-line provide excellent examples of the kinds of work that come from the archaeology of ice patches and glaciers. The Frozen Past: The Yukon Ice Patches is a 36 page booklet on the results of the Yukon Ice Patch Project, focusing on the importance of the finds in regard to archaeology and First Nations. Published by the Government of Yukon, the booklet received the public communication award by the Canadian Archaeological Association at its annual meeting in May, 2012. Highlighted finds include atlatl darts, arrows, and moccasins, and since there is such good preservation researchers are able to distinguish changes in the type of wood used in dart and arrow manufacturing over time, and distinguish with some precision the date of transition from atlatl to bow and arrow.
Teachings From Long Ago Person Found: Highlights from the Kwayday Dan Ts’inchi Project is a 61 page booklet on the discovery and analysis of human remains discovered in melting ice close to the intersection of Alaska, British Columbia, and Yukon. Like The Frozen Past, the booklet describes the discovery, the finds, and the significance in regard to both archaeology and First Nations. The research includes comparing DNA of the remains to DNA collected from many members of the local Indigenous populations, showing close genetic relationship to 17 individuals, 15 of which come from a specific clan.
It isn’t in the booklet or published anywhere else, but I want to take a paragraph to relate an interesting story about Kwayday Dan Ts’inchi (the name in a local First Nation language for the individual, translated as “Long Ago Person Found”). A few months ago, I was teaching an archaeology class, and one student asked if I knew anything about these remains. It turns out that this student knew two of the three hunters who discovered the remains. At the time of discovery, the student and discoverers lived in a community approximately 2,000 miles from the remains and 500 miles from the university where I teach. Later that evening, I received an email from another student in the class, a First Nation student originally from the area of discovery, 2,000 miles from the classroom. She told me that she is directly related to one of those 15 who showed a close (ie. clan) genetic relationship. So, here we were in a class of 30 students, 2,000 miles for the site of discovery and there was one student directly related to Kwayday Dan Ts’inchi and another student who knew those who found him in melting ice. If not a remarkable coincidence, it is at least pretty darn interesting. At least I think so.
The rapidly melting ice and snow is providing a unique opportunity for archaeologists to make significant contributions to culture history, increase our understanding of past human activities in lands of ice and snow, learn more about prehistoric technology due to excellent preservation of organic remains, and more. But the rate at which the melt is occurring means that archaeology in these regions has to not only continue, but increase. Governments and funding agencies should be made aware of the urgency, and I hope some more grad students and professionals will take up the challenge to locate and recover the remains.
Robert Muckle has been practicing, teaching, and writing about archaeology for more than 20 years. He has had his own CRM firm, worked extensively with Indigenous peoples, and directed many field projects. Publications include Introducing Archaeology and Reading Archaeology, both published by the University of Toronto Press. He has archaeological field experience in both the United States and Canada, continues to direct field projects in the summer months, and is based at Capilano University. He may be contacted at bmuckle@capilanou.ca
Significant interest in the archaeological remains being exposed in melting ice and snow in North America began about 15 years ago, primarily in Alaska and the Yukon. Particular areas of interest include melting glaciers, ice-patches (non-moving ice), and perennially frozen snow. There are likely thousands of such locations in North America, especially in the northern latitudes (eg. Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories) and high altitudes of the western states and British Columbia.