Hakai Magazine (via Smithsonian) shares some discoveries from the Bluefish Caves in the northern Yukon, where archaeologists have unearthed clues to a whole human society that flourished 11,000 years earlier than when the “first” humans were supposed to have arrived in North America:
One example of this ongoing rectification is the work being done by Lauriane Bourgeon, a French archaeologist at the University of Kansas. Bourgeon has spent much of her career re-examining and dating the Bluefish Caves collection—which includes a small number of tools and 36,000 animal bones—to clarify the history of the contentious site.
Her research has shown, for instance, that at least 15 bones from the Bluefish Caves were cut-marked by people as early as 23,500 years ago. Human-made cuts, she explains, are deep and thin with a V-shaped profile and typically correspond with strategic butchery. The oldest bone from the Bluefish Caves collection, a 23,500-year-old horse jaw, for example, has long, straight cuts on the inner side consistent with efforts to remove muscle.
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Bourgeon’s examination of the Bluefish Caves collection shows that most of the bones are from Beringian, or Yukon, horses. These furry animals were smaller than modern horses and likely roamed in herds with one male and many females. The Beringian horse went extinct about 14,000 years ago, possibly due to human pressure and climate change, she says.
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Brandon Kyikavichik, a Van Tat Gwich’in heritage researcher who translates oral histories, says based on his knowledge of traditional hunting practices and his ancestors’ lives during the last ice age, Bourgeon’s interpretation of how the caves were used “makes a lot of sense.”
“The land was way different” back when hunters were using the Bluefish Caves, Kyikavichik explains. At this time, he says, his ancestors were tormented by giant animals. That is, until a hero known to the Van Tat Gwich’in as Ch’ataiiyuukii arrived from the ocean and “made the world more hospitable for humans,” Kyikavichik explains. Ch’ataiiyuukii became a leader, and showed the Van Tat Gwich’in how to map the stars and predict animal behavior. Then, according to one story, Ch’ataiiyuukii floated up to become a constellation.
“Our history is rich,” Kyikavichik says. “It goes back thousands of years [and] the stories are told with passion.” He notes that the Van Tat Gwich’in have always been involved in archaeological work in the region and, using their histories, could help identify sites for future excavations.