Sealaska Heritage Institute will offer its last noon lecture of the year on Tuesday.

Forest Geologist Jim Baichtal will talk about the search for early habitation sites on ancient shorelines in Southeast Alaska.

He’ll discuss a new model that has helped scientists discover more than 70 ancient sites with archaeological materials that are rich in microblade technology.

Jim Baichtal said of this lecture:

The key to understanding early settlement patterns in southeast Alaska is tied to understanding the effects of glacial ice on the land and sea levels.

As the glaciers advanced during the last ice age the weight of the ice depressed the earth’s surface beneath it. Ahead of the ice a glacial forebulge formed that rolled across the landscape. As the glaciers grew the global sea levels fell. As the glaciers melted, sea level rose, the forebulge collapsed and the lands depressed by the weight of the ice rapidly rebounded. The first inhabitants in Southeast Alaska were living on this rapidly changing landscape.

A model to predict where the habitable shorelines were through time is being developed and tested. This has revolutionized archaeological inventory across the region. Application of the model has yielded the discovery of over 74 locations with archaeological material, 17 of which date from 6,890 to 9,280 ¹⁴C yr BP.

Initial investigation of these sites indicates that they are extensive and rich in microblade technology. Many of these older sites are inland from the present shore in locations that were hitherto considered low probability for cultural resources.

The lecture is scheduled Tuesday, Nov. 25, in the 4^th floor boardroom at Sealaska in Juneau. Attendees are invited to bring their own lunch.

For more information or to submit a request to give a lecture, contact SHI Culture and History Director Chuck Smythe at 907.586.9282 orchuck.smythe@sealaska.com.

  archeaology, early settlements, glaciation, glaciers, jim baichtal, lecture, microblades