Archaeology of Late Prehistoric Lakeside Settlements in Northwest ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ
Petroglyph boulder on the beach near Late Prehistoric village site at Desperation
Lake (photo by Eric Carlson)
The University of ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Museum of the North and the National Park Service are initiating a collaborative research project within Noatak National Preserve to map and evaluate three Late Prehistoric village sites. These sites are located adjacent to lakes within the Brooks Range of northern ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ and are significant because they contain rare types of features, such as large, stone-ringed communal structures (qargi), petroglyphs, and exceptionally dense concentrations of house, storage, and hunting-related features. These sites represent a unique period in the prehistory of interior northern ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ characterized by large settlements within a region that has otherwise been occupied by thinly spread and mobile human groups.