HUMAN OCCUPATION OF THE UPPER YUKON RIVER CANYON: EXPANDING THE GEOGRAPHY OF DATED COMPONENTS IN THE ALASKA-YUKON BORDERLANDS.

The upper reach of the Yukon River is a terraced riparian corridor that traverses eastern Alaska, United States, and the west-central Yukon Territory, Canada. We consolidate 62 radiocarbon dates among numerous archaeological sites and develop a model of cultural occupation of this region spanning the Chindadn through Dene Traditions (ca. 13,770–200 cal BP). We present Bayesian sum probability density plots derived from our radiocarbon dataset, report on dated components with sourced obsidian, provide new dates on Denali microlithic components, and elaborate on the White River volcanic eruptions. An assemblage of southern sourced obsidian and the introduction of copper metallurgy at the time of the eastern lobe of the White River ash suggests a possible northern displacement of people or an expanded social network following the eruption. The consolidated radiocarbon record across the broad riparian landscape of the Upper Yukon River Canyon expands the spatial extent of dated cultural components in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]