Ice Patch Archaeology in Alaska: 2000 – 10

Research on ice patch archaeology in Alaska reveals that high-altitude ice patches have been integral to the subsistence cycles of Alaskan people for at least 4,000 years. Over a decade-long study spanning multiple national parks and preserves, including Wrangell-St. Elias, researchers uncovered cultural materials from 13 ice patches, primarily linked to caribou hunting but also indicating diverse subsistence activities such as bird hunting, berry harvesting, and small mammal snaring. The findings are based on ethnographic documentation, animal behavior, alpine ecology, geology, and archaeological analyses, providing new insights into the historical and cultural significance of these environments.

VanderHoek, R., Dixon, E. J., Jarman, N. L., & Tedor, R. M. (2012). Ice Patch Archaeology in Alaska: 2000 – 10. Arctic, 65(5). https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic4190