Human resilience and resettlement among the Islands of Four Mountains, Aleutians, Alaska. Issue 3 (15th March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hatfield, Virginia L.; Nicolaysen, Kirsten; West, Dixie L.; Krylovich, Olga A.; Bruner, Kale M.; Savinetsky, Arkady B.; Vasyukov, Dmitry D.; MacInnes, Breanyn T.; Khasanov, Bulat F.; Persico, Lyman; Okuno, Mitsuru
• Is Part Of: Quaternary research. Volume 91:Issue 3(2019)
• Page Start: 917
• Page End: 933
• Publication Date: 2019-03-15
• Subjects: Four Mountains, -- Aleutians, -- Archaeology, -- Prehistory, -- Radiocarbon dates, -- Resilience, -- Volcanism; Geology, Stratigraphic -- Quaternary -- Periodicals; Glacial epoch -- Periodicals; Stratigraphie -- Quaternaire -- Périodiques; Époque glaciaire -- Périodiques; Geology, Stratigraphic; Glacial epoch; Quaternary Geologic Period; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 551.79
• DOI: 10.1017/qua.2018.149
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-5894

Abstract

Abstract: Combined archaeological, ecological, and geologic research on Chuginadak and Carlisle Islands in the Islands of Four Mountains (IFM) probed questions about the sustainability of human settlements over the past 4000 years in the face of geologic, ecological, and social hazards. We use a human ecodynamics approach to frame the investigation and present original archaeological evidence from this poorly known region of the remote Aleutian Islands. Several village sites occupied during the last four millennia are clustered in locations that were not damaged by earthquake-induced tsunamis; however, new geologic evidence indicates that at least one volcanic eruption forced humans to abandon one or more prehistoric village sites. Combined archaeological, ecological, and geologic analyses demonstrate resilient Unangax̂ occupations of the IFM through long-term climate change as well as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions with occasional community vulnerability to volcanic eruptions.