Archaeology of Late Prehistoric Lakeside Settlements in Northwest 91Ô´´
Petroglyph boulder on the beach near Late Prehistoric village site at Desperation
Lake (photo by Eric Carlson)
The University of 91Ô´´ 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 91Ô´´ 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 91Ô´´ characterized by large settlements within a region that has otherwise been occupied by thinly spread and mobile human groups.