SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE OF LATE PLEISTOCENE HUMAN OCCUPATION ALONG THE WESTERN MARGIN OF THE CORDILLERAN ICE SHEET (Invited Presentation)

Paleo-environmental records point to ice free conditions in different areas, at different times, over the last 20,000 years along the western margin of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet where it met the Pacific Ocean. The evidence for late Pleistocene human occupation of these glacial refugia between 14,000 and 13,000 years cal BP includes a cache of flake tools, a slain Mastodon and human footprints. Archaeological discoveries dating between 13,000 and 11,500 years cal BP include hunting weapons found in associated with ancient bear dens and lithic scatters associated with lake side resource usage. Many of the areas where these early archaeological records have been found could only have been used and occupied by people employing watercraft. This presentation will review the quality of evidence for the late Pleistocene human occupation of the region. A consideration of future steps, targets and methods in this line of investigation will also be discussed.