Abstract
A series of papers has developed the claim that stone features on the submerged Alpena-Amberley Ridge (AAR) in Lake Huron provides unique insight into the Paleoindian caribou-hunting economies of the Great Lakes. The documented human occupation of the AAR dates to the late Early Holocene (about 9000 calendar years ago): however, a time when glacial ice was far to the north and the region was occupied by hunting-gathering societies with ties to the western Great Plains and the deciduous forests of the Eastern Woodlands. Key elements of the caribou-hunting scenario as presented are poorly explained, contradictory, and/or ecologically unsound. Ethnographic and archaeological data demonstrate the use of structures for hunting other kinds of large game, presenting possibilities for alternative explanations. Constructing a satisfying explanation of the AAR features will require expanding the scope of investigation to develop and test multiple hypotheses that engage with the terrestrial archaeological record.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 287-304 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | PaleoAmerica |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2021 |
Keywords
- Great Lakes
- Paleoindian
- caribou
- early Holocene
- underwater archaeology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Archaeology