The Emerging Archaeology of Glaciers and Ice Patches: Examples from Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Dixon EJ, Manley WF, Lee CM. 2005. The Emerging Archaeology of Glaciers and Ice Patches: Examples from Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. American Antiquity. 70(1):129–143
Melting and retreating glaciers and ice patches (aniuvat) have revealed frozen archaeological remains on several conti-nents, including North America. Artifacts from these sites provide information about high-latitude and high-altitude human adaptations and unique insights into prehistoric material culture. A Geographic Information System (GIS) model, "Mod-eling Archaeological Potential of Ice and Snow," or MAPIS, is being developed to focus aerial reconnaissance and pedes-trian survey for archaeological and paleontological site discovery over vast areas containing glaciers and ice patches. Two field surveys in Alaska 's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve refined the MAPIS model and documented historic and prehistoric artifacts on the surface of recently melted glaciers and aniuvat. Because thawed and exposed organic arti-facts decompose or are destroyed soon after exposure, there is an urgent need to locate and preserve them before they are lost forever.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Dixon, E.; Manley, William; Lee, Craig
- Units
- WRST
- Keywords
- archeological remains, ice patch archeology, prehitoric cultural material, retreating glaciers and ice patches