Archaeologists Find a 1000-Yr-Old Pit Used by Indigenous Tribe to Store Meat and Berries During Harsh Seasons

Archaeologists have unearthed a valuable cache pit from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a military complex in the Gulf of Alaska. The pit was spotted near Knik Arm and possibly was used by an Indigenous tribe of the region, stated Smithsonian Magazine. Researchers consider the pit to be crucial, as it showcases the long history of human settlement in the area. Experts also noted that the pit was dug into well-drained soil and surrounded by birch bark and grass. 

Archaeologists found the pit on a popular trail created by Dene, which led out of the modern-day Anchorage area. Dene are an indigenous group of people living in the Gulf of Alaska. Considering that the pit was on this group's trail, researchers associated the structure with this tribe. Dene are also known by the name Athabaskans and include the Dena’ina and Ahtna people. Researchers believe these people came to the Gulf of Alaska, during the summers, to catch salmon and terrestrial meat.

As per examinations, the pit measured 3.5 feet deep. Researchers believe the pit was utilized to store important food items like meat and berries by the indigenous tribe, during the harsh seasonal turns of southeastern Alaska. After seeing the pit, experts thought that the pit was a few hundred years old. Radiocarbon dating though revealed a different story altogether. "When we got the results back that said it was 960 years, plus or minus 30, we were shocked,"  Elizabeth Ortiz, an archaeologist and cultural resource manager at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) shared, stated KNBA. "[We] were jumping up and down in our cube in tears. It was very, very exciting."

The team conducted radiocarbon and stable isotope tests on remnants found inside the millennium-old pit, according to Smithsonian Magazine. The objective was to determine the source of the stored food, whether it was from land or sea. Initial results have indicated the presence of moose or caribou. Researchers have decided to analyze the surrounding soil to confirm whether the creature was passing by or stored. Researchers were ecstatic with the finding, as it pushed them one step forward towards understanding human settlement in the region, a millennium ago. The pit's age also backed the oral tales of Dena’ina and Ahtna people, which claimed that JBER and the surrounding area, had been in use for a long time, according to Margan Grover, an archaeologist associated with the excavation. 

The pit's discovery was considered to be rare for both authorities and the Indigenous tribe. This was because the surrounding area of the structure had been torn down by the military in the 1940s. To have an indigenous construction, survive all the destruction, and come out unscathed, was hugely valuable for the groups. "We know we can’t stop development," Aaron Leggett, president of the Native Village of Eklutna and a curator at the Anchorage Museum said, as per KNBA. "But can we use these opportunities to fill in the picture?"

Leggett hopes that the pit creates an opportunity for authorities and indigenous tribes to work together and preserve the region's legacy. "There are things that we know inherently from what was passed down about living in a place, but there are other things that these archaeological sites tell us about the past," Angela Wade, the historic preservationist of the Chickaloon village shared. "I feel like every site that we learn about, every site that we can further investigate, is a piece of our history that was potentially lost," Wade added. "So this is kind of regaining some of the history that we were separated from."