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Paxson Lake: Two Nineteenth Century Ahtna Sites In The Copper River Basin, Alaska Item Type Thesis Authors Ketz, James Allen Download date 23/09/2021 19:58:48 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8395 INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “Missing Page(s)”. If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. 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These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University M icroilm s International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 1321781 KETZ, JAMES ALLEN PAXSON LAKE: TWO NINETEENTH CENTURY AHTNA SITES IN THE COPPER RIVER BASIN, ALASKA UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA M.A. 1982 University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 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Other ___________________________________________________ University Microfilms International Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PAXSON LAKE: TWO NINETEENTH CENTURY AHTNA SITES IN THE COPPER RIVER BASIN, ALASKA A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS By James Allen Ketz, B.A. Fairbanks, Alaska December 1982 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PAXSON LAKE: TWO NINETEENTH CENTURY AHTNA SITES IN THE COPPER RIVER BASIN, ALASKA RECOMMENDED: Jr^Lt Chairman, Advisory CeiTlnrrtitee- 17^ .y — ___ Chairman,Apartment of Anthropology 7 u Director, Division of Life Spences APPROVED: Vice Chancellor for Research and Advanced Study Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Archeological excavations undertaken by the Bureau of Land Man agement at Paxson Lake in 1976 are described. Data from two sites— the Knoll Site and the Point Site— are interpreted in the context of the nineteenth century history, culture and archeology of the Ahtna, Northern Athapaskan Indians of the Copper River region, Alaska. The analysis demonstrates that the Paxson Lake sites primarily relate to caribou hunting and that, functionally, the Knoll and Point sites re present spring caribou hunting camps or stations. Comparisons with nineteenth century winter village sites previously excavated in the Ahtna area are presented, and it is concluded that significant varia tion is represented in the archeological record by the task-specific activities that constituted a single aspect of the traditional season al round. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT iii LIST OF FIGURES vi LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF PLATES vi i i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2. THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AHTNA AND THE FUR TRADE 4 The Russian-American Company and Development of the Copper River Fur Trade, 1799-1867 6 The Alaska Commercial Company and the Copper River Fur Trade, 1867-1900 46 CHAPTER 3. THE PAXSON LAKE SITES: INTRODUCTION 85 Native Use and Settlement of Paxson Lake 87 Environmental Setting 88 The Nelchina Caribou Herd 89 The Gulkana Indians 95 Previous Work in the Area 100 CHAPTER 4. THE PAXSON LAKE SITES 107 The Knoll Site 107 The Point Site 137 CHAPTER 5. THE PAXSON LAKE COLLECTIONS 152 The Knoll Site Artifacts 153 The Point Site Artifacts 179 Incidental Surface Collections 196 Knoll and Point Site Comparisons 198 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Page CHAPTER 6. DATING PAXSON LAKE 211 Metal-Working Technology 211 Cremation Burials 213 Glass Beads 214 Conclusions 241 CHAPTER 7. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 243 Comparisons 244 Ethnic Identification and the Significance of the Described Data 252 REFERENCES CITED 260 PLATES 275 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Fur Production at Knik Station, 1872-1901 70 2. Fur Production at the Prince William Sound Stations of the Alaska Commercial Company, 1872-1901 71 3. Paxson Lake and Vicinity 86 4. The Paxson Lake Sites 108 5. The Knoll Site 109 6. The Knoll Site Stratigraphy 111 7. Plan and Cross-section of Feature 1 at the Knoll Site 113 8. Feature 1 Stratigraphy 114 9. Summary of Cache Pit Dimensions at GUL 077 and GUL 076 119 10. Floor Plan and Stylized Cross-section of Cache Pit 1 126 11. Plan of Structural Remains from Feature 2 at the Knoll Site 133 12. Plan and Cross-section of House 1 at the Point Site 138 13. House 1 Stratigraphy at the Point Site 139 14. Incised Pebble from House 1 at the Point Site 187 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Ahtna at Knik Station, 1886-87 64 2. Dimensional Data from Cache Pits at GUL 077 and GUL 076 117 3. Glass Bead Distribution at the Knoll Site 155 4. Classification of the Knoll and Point Site Glass Beads 157 5. Boulder Spall Scrapers at the Knoll Site 175 6. Distribution of Unretouched Flakes from Feature 1 178 7. Glass Beads from the Point Site 184 8. Boulder Spall Scrapers at the Point Site 188 9. Hammerstones from House 1 at the Point Site 189 10. Flaked Stone Material Types from the Point Site 191 11. Unretouched Flakes from the Point Site 191 12. Retouched and Burinated Flakes from the Point Site 193 13. Scrapers, Burin and Wedge from the Point Site 195 14. Trade Beads in the Inventories of Nuchek Station, 1872-1901 220 15. Comparison of Taral Bead Types with Trade Beads Listed in the Inventories of Nuchek Station 230 16. Glass Beads from Nineteenth Century Sites in the Copper River Area 233 vi i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF PLATES Plate Page 1. Ceramics and Birch Bark from the Point Site 275 2. Glass Beads from the Knoll and Point Sites 276 3. Iron and Copper from the Knoll and Point Sites 277 4. Antler and Bone Artifacts from the Point Site 278 5. Boulder Spall Scrapers from the Knoll and Point Sites 279 6. Flaked and Incised Stone from the Knoll Site, Point Site, and Surface Collections 280 vi i i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Several individuals and organizations contributed to the comple tion of this thesis, and I want to acknowledge their assistance and support. Analysis of the cultural material recovered from Paxson Lake was funded by the Bureau of Land Management under Contract No. AK-010-PH7-594. John Beck, formerly Anchorage District Archaeologist for BLM, reviewed earlier drafts concerning excavation data at the sites, and his detailed comments and suggestions were very helpful in writing the final interpretations offered here. Brian Allen photo graphed the artifacts that appear in the plates, and Russell Sackett drafted several maps and figures.