EXCAVATIONS AT THE LITTLE JOHN SITE (KdVo-6) A Summary Report Submitted To The White River First Nation Yukon Government - Heritage Branch Government of Canada - Archaeological Survey of Canada (Permit #'s 03-5ASR, 04-10ASR, 06) Northern Research Institute - Yukon College Norman Alexander Easton Principal Investigator Lecturer in Anthropology and Northern Studies Yukon College, Whitehorse With Contributions By Glen MacKay, Prince of Wales Heritage Centre, Yellowknife Vance Hutchinson, Tulane University Christopher Baker Revised June 2007 Easton - Excavations at the Little John Site (KdVo-6) Page 2 of 142 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Little John site was first identified to me by the late Mrs. Bessie John and her brother Mr. Joseph Tommy Johnny, children of Little John. Financial and logistical support for the excavations at the Little John site and subsequent analysis has been received from the White River First Nation of Beaver Creek, Yukon, the Arts and Science Division and The Northern Research Institute of Yukon College, the Tanana Chief’s Conference, Fairbanks, AK, the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, US Department of the Interior, and the Heritage Resources Board of Yukon. Peter Schnurr, Ken Hermanson, Duncan Armitage, Arthur McMaster, Patricia Young, Camille Sanford, Eldred Johnny, and Derrick Peters (the latter two both grandsons of Little John) have all provided extensive volunteer field assistance over the years of excavation. Grant Lowey, Charlie Roots, Tammy Allen, and Steve Isreal of the Yukon Geological Survey, Yukon Territorial Government, Whitehorse, identified the lithology of the artifacts. Excavations in 2003 were supported by the Yukon College Field School in Subarctic Archaeology and Ethnography, while those in 2005 by the Community Development Fund of the Yukon Government and youth workers of the White River First Nation. Roy Carlson, James Dixon, Robert Satler, and Greg Hare have all provided informed discussion to our understanding of the site, for which we are grateful. The artifact drawings are by Reta Postoloski and Kawina Robichaud, with assistance from Celeste Whalen. Cover Photo Trail Survey Crew, 2007. Left to Right: Patrick Johnny, Glen Stephens, Kaz Kuba, Carol Burns, Victor Sam, Derrick Peters, Camille Sanford, Patricia Young, Paul Nadasdy. Easton - Excavations at the Little John Site (KdVo-6) Page 3 of 142 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 8 LOCATION ..................................................................................................................11 HISTORY AND METHODS OF INVESTIGATION....................................................13 GLACIAL HISTORY ...................................................................................................20 PALAEOECOLOGY ....................................................................................................21 CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENTAL ECOLOGY.................................................24 CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY.........................................................................................27 REGIONAL ARCHAELOGICAL SEQUENCES..........................................................31 The Northwestern Canadian (Central Southwest Yukon) Archaeological Sequence ...32 Northern Cordilleran Tradition...............................................................................33 Little Arm Phase or Northwest Microblade Tradition.............................................33 Annie Lake Complex .............................................................................................35 Taye Lake Phase or Northern Archaic Tradition or Middle Prehistoric Period........36 Aishihik Phase - Late Prehistoric Period ................................................................37 Bennett Lake Phase - Late Prehistoric....................................................................38 Discussion of Southwest Yukon Sequence .............................................................39 The Archaeological Sequence of Eastern Beringia (Central Alaska and Northwest Yukon) ......................................................................................................................41 Nenana Complex or Chindadn Complex ................................................................42 Denali Complex (American Palaeoarctic Tradition / Beringian Tradition)..............43 Northern Archaic Tradition....................................................................................46 Late Denali Complex .............................................................................................46 Athapaskan Tradition.............................................................................................46 Euroamerican Tradition .........................................................................................46 Comparative Discussion of the Interior Southeastern Beringian Archaeological Sequence ...................................................................................................................46 Archaeological Sites within the Borderlands Region..................................................48 SITE STRATIGRAPHY................................................................................................51 West Lobe Sediments ................................................................................................56 East Lobe Sediments..................................................................................................58 Comparative Geomorphology of the Little John Sediments........................................61 IDENTIFIED ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPONENTS .................................................66 FAUNAL REMAINS ....................................................................................................68 RADIO-CARBON DATES ...........................................................................................76 SUMMARY OF RECOVERED ARTIFACTS ..............................................................79 Formed Artifacts by Type and Stratum ......................................................................79 Distribution of Artifact Raw Material ........................................................................82 Detailed Distribution of Artifacts in the East Lobe Paleosols .....................................85 SELECTED DESCRIPTIONS OF ARTIFACTS BY COMPONENT AND TYPE........87 Artifacts of the Nenana Complex Component ............................................................87 Chindadn Points of the Nenana Complex Component ............................................88 Pointed Bifaces of the Nenana Complex Assemblage.............................................91 Large Bifaces of the Nenana Complex Assemblage................................................93 Easton - Excavations at the Little John Site (KdVo-6) Page 4 of 142 Modified Flake Tools of the Nenana Component ...................................................95 Additional Formed Tools of the Nenana Component..............................................96 Artifacts of the Denali Complex Component Assemblage..........................................98 Bifaces of the Denali Complex Component............................................................98 Modified Flake Tools of the Denali Component, East Paleosols...........................102 Blade Technology of the Denali Complex, West Lobe .........................................103 Scraper / Burin Technology of the Denali Complex, West Lobe...........................104 Artifacts of the Northern Archaic Component..........................................................108 Bifaces from the Northern Archaic Component....................................................108 Scraper Forms from the Northern Archaic Component.........................................109 Blade Technology from the Northern Archaic Component...................................110 Additional Formed Tools of the Northern Archaic Component.............................113 Artifacts of the Late Prehistoric and Historic Periods ...............................................116 REGIONAL CONTEXT OF THE EARLY COMPONENTS AT LITTLE JOHN SITE ....................................................................................................................................119 Chindadn Biface Form.............................................................................................119 Bipoint Biface Form ................................................................................................122 Biface Fragments.....................................................................................................125 SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF THE EARLY COMPONENTS OF THE LITTLE JOHN SITE............................................................................................................................126 CONCLUSIONS .........................................................................................................130 REFERENCES............................................................................................................132 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Upper Tanana Student Excavators, Little John Site, 2007................................. 9 Figure 2. Historic Distribution of Upper Tanana Dineh..................................................10 Figure 3. General Location of the Little John Site, Yukon Territory, Canada .................11 Figure 4. Aerial view of the Little John Site from the South...........................................12