TY - JOUR AU - Thomas M. Urban, Jeffrey T. Rasic PY - 2019// TI - Magnetic detection of archaeological hearths in Alaska: A tool for investigating the full span of human presence at the gateway to North America KW - Alaska Arctic Arctic small tool Bering land bridge Beringia Birnirk Denbigh Hearth Inupiat Magnetometer Northern Archaic Norton Ocean Bay Paleoarctic Pleistocene Thule N2 - Magnetic survey methods have recently shown tremendous potential for the detection of archaeological hearths in Eastern Beringia, ranging from intermittent open-air camp fires to larger heat intensive activity areas. Here we present an overview of the method along with eight supporting case studies from seven U.S. National Park Service units in the U.S. state of Alaska, covering diverse geographic settings and time-periods. Together, these case studies demonstrate the capabilities of magnetic detection instruments in various modes of operation for finding datable archaeological deposits that span the breadth of known human occupation of this region. The examples range from the simplest use of the magnetometer as a single sensor reconnaissance instrument in a “search mode”, to use as a gradiometer in conjunction with other geophysical methods such as ground-penetrating radar, to record precise measurements and inform nuanced interpretations. Examples presented here range from the terminal Pleistocene to historic periods, spanning 12,000 years of human activity in Eastern Beringia, and encompassing the arrival, emergence, and expansion of multiple human groups or cultural traditions in the New World. SN - 0277-3791 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.03.018 N1 - exported from refbase (http://publi.ipev.fr/polar_references/show.php?record=8613), last updated on Tue, 09 Jul 2024 03:49:58 +0200 ID - ThomasM.Urban2019 ER -