SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected EnvironmentArmy Alaska Transformation FEIS (USARAK 2004). More detailed discussions are available in theFEIS and in Robertson et al. (2006). Comparatively little systematic survey has been completed in thetraining areas of FRA or in the DTA. Consequently, generalizations about the cultural resources aretentative.Prehistory refers to the investigation of cultures before the availability of written records. Alaskanprehistory varies by region due to conditions that enhanced or limited human occupation. The extentof glacial coverage, and the rate and directions of glacial retreat, largely influenced the availability ofresources within each region to support prolonged human occupancy and activity. Interior Alaska wasprobably inhabited at least 13,000 years ago, and the coastal regions were probably inhabited later.History designates that period following the introduction and use of written documents as a form ofcommunication and preservation of knowledge, from which textural resources may also survive. Thetiming of the transition from prehistoric to historic periods varies from region to region. In interiorAlaska, the historic period begins in the 1860s when traders began entering the area. In south-centralAlaska, the historic period probably began in the late 1700s.PTRCSs are those properties that are associated with cultural practices or beliefs of a living communitythat are rooted in that community’s history and are important in maintaining the continuing culturalidentity of that community. Examples of properties that may be considered as PTRCSs are locationsassociated with traditional beliefs of an Alaska Native group about its origins, its cultural history,or the nature of the world.In the evaluation of the prehistoric and historic eras of interior and south-central Alaska, DTA andnearby FWA are in the interior area and FRA is in the south-central area. The prehistoric eras for interiorAlaska are Paleoarctic Tradition (12,000 to 6,000 years Before Present [BP]), Northern ArchaicTradition (6,000 to 2,000 BP), and Athabascan Tradition (2,000 to 150 BP). Those for south-centralAlaska are Early Holocene (8,000 to 6,000 BP), Middle Holocene (6,000 to 3,000 BP), and LateHolocene (3,000 to 1,000 BP). The historic eras of interior Alaska are Early Contact (AD 1810 to1880s), Gold Rush (AD 1880s to 1928), Development of Infrastructure (AD 1890s to 1910s), MilitaryActivities (AD 1890s to present), and those of south-central Alaska are American Era (AD 1867to 1938) and Military Era (AD 1939 to present).The prehistoric and historic traditions for FWA and DTA in the interior are summarized in the TransformationFEIS (USARAK 2004). The prehistory and history of FRA in south-central Alaska differsfrom the interior. The prehistoric and historic periods or traditions of this area are also summarized inthe FEIS (USARAK 2004).3.2.4.1 Fort RichardsonPrehistoric ContextThe Early Holocene traditions of south-central Alaska were similar to those of the interior and mayhave been derived from them. In the Middle Holocene, there is a poorly represented shift away fromterrestrial animals to marine resources. Sites of the Late Holocene represent a Pacific Eskimo adaptationwith characteristic pottery and transverse knives (ulus). The Late Prehistoric is characterized byAthabascan material culture including house depressions, cobble spall scrapers, and fire-crackedstone. These archaeological traditions are thought to be associated with Dena’ina Athabascans.The earliest known site in the Cook Inlet region (Component 1 of the Beluga Point site near Anchorage)dates to no earlier than 8,000 years ago. This site is associated with the Denali Complex. No sitesFebruary 2008 3–107 2/25th SBCT Final EIS