Presenter(s): Amy Shannon—Anthropology
Faculty Mentor(s): Madonna Moss
Session: Prerecorded Poster Presentation
Rice Ridge is a deeply stratified archaeological deposit on Kodiak Island . It has a well-preserved faunal assemblage, including an extensive bird bone assemblage, associated with the Ocean Bay tradition (7600-4200 BP) . One study has shown that birds are an important part of the lifeways of Ocean Bay groups, but this has not yet been investigated on Kodiak Island, where Alutiiq ancestors have been conventionally portrayed as primarily dependent on marine mammals and fish . We have studied bird bones from four of the sixteen excavation units at Rice Ridge, yielding 4,714 bone fragments identifiable to element, of which 3,734 were identified to taxon . Cormorants (Phalacrocorax spp .), ducks (primarily Melanitta spp . and Somateria spp .), geese, and murres (Uria spp .) were the most prevalent taxa . Less than 5% of all fragments were from terrestrial species, indicating a heavy exploitation of marine birds . This poster presents our analysis of modifications to the bones, such as cut marks and burning, as well as the representation of different skeletal elements . We are able to infer that birds were used not only as food sources, but to make bird skin clothing .