The Prehistoric Site In Alaska That Still Baffles Archaeologists To This Day
By Megan McDonald|Published July 13, 2022
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Megan McDonald
Author
Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of humu media, an Alaska-based digital media agency. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter around the US and the world.
Alaska is well known for its natural history, but many people don’t realize the long, human presence in this great state. Located in northwestern Alaska is a prehistoric site in Alaska called Raven Bluff, where the tools of people from 12,000 years ago were found. This incredible site gives us a peek into the past, and the people who lived here so many years ago.
There’s a spot in northwestern Alaska that has been discovered as an important prehistoric site.
Located on the bluff above the Kivalina River, this site is home to a glimpse into the past, and the people who lived here. Discovered in 2007, it’s a treasure trove of information about the people who lived here 12,000 years ago.
The bluff is around 100 miles north of Kotzebue, located on the very edge of the Chukchi Sea and the De Long Mountains.
Located on an eroded, limestone bluff, its surface is tundra that’s dotted with grasses, berries, and moss. It’s a beautiful, remote area, that is rich with varied vegetation.
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In 2007, Bureau of Land Management archaeologist Bill Hedman and his crew discovered the Raven Bluff site.
They were conducting surveys to learn more about the Bering Land Bridge between Russia and North America. They estimate that what they found on Raven Bluff may have been left when the Bering Land Bridge still existed, almost 13,000 years ago.
Experts believe that bison lived in the area 12,000 years ago. Fluted points that looked like sharp spearheads were found at the site, letting us learn a little more about the first people in the area.
From 2009 to 2012, archaeologists with the Bureau of Land Management worked with the National Park Service and the University of Alaska Museum of the North to conduct several excavations at Raven Bluff.
Archaeologists had to transport gear and personnel each year by helicopter. The remote location meant the archaeologists had to establish a base camp to help support their research.
Now the Museum of the North sends archaeologists to analyze the tools and artifacts found at Raven Bluff.
They continue to study how the first people of this great land crossed the Bering Land Bridge, and created a home in North America. It’s a fascinating history of some of the first peoples of Alaska.
Alaska is an absolutely fascinating place with thousands upon thousands of years of incredible history.
