Alaska, Binford, and Landscape Modeling: Approximating the Shift to Logistical Mobility During Alaskan Prehistory

Through the lens of Binford's forager-collector model and based on site
distribution data, the speaker will present preliminary evidence for an earlier
transition from foraging to collecting subsistence strategies than has been
previously suggested for Central Alaska. Seasonally-abundant resources like
salmon and caribou offered prehistoric Central Alaskans an incredible
subsistence opportunity, particularly if stored. Clarifying the timing and causes of
the transition to logistical mobility will permit a more accurate reconstruction of
Alaskan prehistory and contribute to a broader understanding of such
subsistence transitions among prehistoric hunter-gatherer. The speaker asks
attendees to help her workshop these ideas, which will ultimately culminate in her
pre-doctoral research paper.