LANDSCAPES OF SUBMERGED CARIBOU HUNTING STRUCTURES ON THE ALPENA-AMBERLEY RIDGE, LAKE HURON, USA

The submerged landscape of the Alpena-Amberley Ridge has yielded over 70 structures thought to be associated with caribou hunting activities. This area was sub-aerially exposed during the Lake Stanley lowstand phase of Lake Huron between 8 and 9000 years ago. While it is thought that the submergence of this landscape was slow enough to have created a ‘Pompeii’-like landscape, recent invasions of quagga mussels have obscured hard surfaces of the Ridge. While Remotely Operated Vehicles have been able to document the preserved stone hunting structures, the preservation of the sedimentary environment, and its potential for preserving organic materials, microfossils and cultural artifacts was unclear.

Since 2011, over 200 sediment samples have been collected by divers and ponar sampler from areas with and without cultural features. These samples have provided a wealth of paleoenvironmental data (wood, particle size and testate amoebae) as well as cultural material (macro and microdebitage). Testate amoebae analysis shows that the area was a patchwork of small microenvironments of boggy ponds, larger inland lakes and forested swamp. Both testate amoebae and sedimentary data point to localized flooding in some areas of the Ridge during this time period. Cultural material in the form of lithic flakes ranging in size from 2 cm to 500 microns are clustered in areas directly within or adjacent to some of the stone structures. These flakes are not likely the result of natural processes, as they are concentrated only in specific areas, and not all features have associated flakes. The study of this unique archaeological landscape provides a picture of the paleoenvironment during the Lake Stanley lowstand phase, and contributes to the understanding of how prehistoric peoples may have utilized the landscape for the hunting of large game.