Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutBlack Bear Lake Archeological Investigations 1982ALASKA HERITAGE RESEARCH GROUP, INc. Alaska Power Authority LIBRAR'f COPY BLA 017 c.2 "2> I~ Bea.--r ~~ FINAL ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED nt;l;t:Jvr~w ,, ,.-; "'C~~i("'\ /';LAS~<.\ F:;·,.·~f: .. J,, BLACK BEAR LAKE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT, PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND, ALASKA ~6~c,+-\.'1f5L.- !""\J . ' FINAL ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED BLACK BEAR LAKE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT, PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND, ALASKA Report To Harza Engineering Company 150 South Wacker Drive Chicago, Illinois 60606 Prepared By Alaska Heritage Research Group, Inc. P.O. Box 397 Fairbanks, Alaska 99707 Glenn Bacon Archeologist August 1982 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 1 Map 1: Project Location Map, Prince of Wales Island ...... Theoretical Orientation ...................... Methodology .................................. Envirohmental Parameters for Human Occupation 3 5 7 of the Study Area •••••••••••••••••• 10 Table 1: Alexander Archipelago Vegetational History ••••••• 15 The Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 The Black Lake Valley Survey ••••••••••••••••• 21 Map 2: Black Lake Vicinity ••••••••••••••• 22 The Natzuhini Bay Survey ••••••••••••••••••••• 24 Map 3: Natzuhini Bay Vicinity •••••••••••• 27 The Hydaburg Survey •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 28 Post-Survey Interviews and Records Check ••••• 31 Conclusions and Recommendations •••••••••••••• 32 Bibliography INTRODUCTION In recent years Alaska has witnessed in increase in the interest in development of relatively small hydroelectric sites. One such site is the Black Bear Lake site, located on the west side of Prince of Wales Island approximately 50 miles west of Ketchikan in southeastern Alaska. Many of these proposed hydroelectric projects require license applications to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission~ and in such cases an assessment of the project impact on cultural resources is included. The cultural resources assessment of the impact of construction of the Black Bear Lake hydroelectric project was begun in 1980. That year Alaskarctic, now a subsidiary of Alaska Heritage Research Group, Inc., completed a literature search and field study (Bacon 1980) of the project area. The 1980 study was designed to provide data for planning purposes and did not cover all of the proposed project area in detail. In 1982, Alaska Heritage Research Group, Inc. was contracted by Harza Engineering Company to complete the study in1tiated in 1980 by Alaskarctic. Archeologist Glenn Bacon of the Alaska Heritage Research Group, Inc. returned to Prince of Wales Island, again assisted by George Bacon, in July of this year. During two man-weeks in the field, a detailed archeological survey was performed over those areas which had not been surveyed in 1980. These areas included: (1) In Black Lake Valley from the tunnel portal to the proposed powerhouse and -1- -2- switchyard sites, then along the proposed transmission line/access road route, including the eastern shoreline of Black Lake, to the point in Section 25 where the earlier 1980 survey ended (see maps), (2) The proposed transmission line route from just north of Natzuhini Bay to the boundary of Sealaska Corporation and National Forest lands (see maps), and (3) The proposed transmission line route from the boundary of National·Forest and Haida Corporation lands to the proposed project substation site in Hydaburg, including the two alternative legs at the end of the route (see maps). During the period of field investigations, discussions were held with a number of persons who have special knowledge of the research area. Robert Sanderson, Chairman of the Board of the Haida Corporation, is especially knowledgeable about historic and prehistoric sites on Prince of Wales Island1 and he was a principal researcher the the effort that led to the Sealaska Corporation report on native cemetery and historical sites (Sealaska Corporation 1975). We also talked to Richard Harris, Environmental Coordination Manager for Sealaska, and to Vince Matt, Forest and Lands Manager for Sealaska Corporation. David Katzeek, of the Sealaska Heritage Foundation, was also contacted. Each ot these gentlemen was questioned concerning their knowledge of cultural resources in the project area. The net result was that no cultural resources were brought to our attention which had ot been brought to our attention and reported in 1980. However, we did obtain additional data on a wooden aquaduct located in -3-. SCALE 1: 250000 MAP 1. PRO~ECT LOCATION MAP, PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND BLACK LAKE SURVEY AREA NATZUHINI BAY SURVEY AREA HYDABURG SURVEY AREA ~ ~ ~ ~ ,:; J' ~ APPROXIM ATE MEA N DECLINATION, 1949 ,'~ALASKA • , "t , .• . f1 ......... -... OUAOAANGLE LOCATION CRAIG, ALASKA N5500-W13200 j60Xl60 1957 MINOR REVISIONS 1972 E3:=:E:=c::::E=3:o========is=======:3to::·=======:Jts~======:::::3zoE:::======::525 MILEs 5 0 5 !0 15 20 25 KILOMETERS EcEC~====~===3C===~====~==~ CONTOUR INTERVAL200 FEET DATUM IS MEAN SEA LEVEL DEPTH CURVES IN FEET·DATUM IS MEAN LOWER LOW WATER SHOREUNE SHONN REPRESENTS THE APPROXIMATE UNE OF MEAN HIGH WATER -4- Hydaburg. This aquaduct appears to be too recent to be considered an historical object, but it is historically interesting and is reported on here. A reiteration of conclusions reached in 1980 will be reproduced in this report to ease the burden on the reader, but the basic conclusions will remain the same. As best we can determine, proposed development of the Black Bear Lake hydroelectric site should not adversely effect any known archeological or historical site. -5- THEORETICAL ORIENTATION Following White (1949), and more recently Steward (1959), we have utilized the broad concept of cultural ecology in approaching our research data. Underlying our study plan is a concept which focuses on the interaction between human social behavior, material culture, and the physical environment. A basic assumption is that material culture applied to the physical environment corresponds to social behavior, and that if patterns are observed in the technological record, then corresponding patterns may be inferred in the social behavior of the societies which used the technology. Those aspects or material culture most closely associated with food getting will be most sensitive to changes in available food resources (Steward 1959); and food getting technology is relatively easily studied for hunting/fishing societies. Granting these assumptions two basic levels of study can be persued through the study of the material leavings of human groups. First, extinct behavior patterns can be revealed through a study of technology as it is preserved as discarded material culture. Second, behavioral response to changing physical environmental conditions will be revealed through observed changes in the technological record. Our study of the Black Bear Lake Hydroelectric Project impact area hoped to focus on extinct behavior patterns through study of material culture as revealed in the archeological record. -6- Unfortunately, the archeological record is incomplete, and in the study area extremely sparse. Lost and discarded items of material culture have not been uniformly preserved; and there is a bias for modern trash. The difficulty before any archeologist is not unlike attempting to reconstruct an object through study of the shadow it has cast. Nevertheless, we are secure in the beiief that enough of the technological record will eventually be revealed to provide a clearer picture of past human behavior. -7- METHOOOLOGY Project methodology was designed to concentrate on a field based on-the-ground archeological survey. That survey was supported by a pre-survey literature search {Bacon 1980). An intensive archeological survey was conducted over portions of the potential project impact area. The survey was designed so as to maximize detection of surface and near surface archeological and/or historical resources in portions of the potential impact area which were not studied in detail in 1980. Surface coverage of areas surveyed permitted visual detection of above ground features such as structures and collapsed structures. A list ot such structures could include, but not be limited to, cabins, totem poles, grave markers, pitch trees, bark trees, lean-to frames, house pits, and the like. Small trowel or shovel dug excavations provided opportunities to examine subsurface geological deposits. Subsurface deposits were also revealed through natural erosion scars and through upturned vegetation. Extensive clearing due to previous logging operations and road cuts along logging roads also provided excellent opportunities to examine subsurface sediments. Careful examination of test excavation holes and points of erosion enabled the field archeologists to search for buried cultural material. Survey corridors, which followed road or proposed road alignments, -8- were defined as 100 feet either side of the roadway centerline. Thus corridors were approximately 200 feet in width. As logging roads had been constructed over much of this alignment at the time of our survey, a center swath perhaps fifty feet wide had already been disturbea. This enabled the field archeologists to divide the corridor into three parallel sub-corridors: (1) the roadway and ditches, (2) the portion of the corridor between the edge of the ditch and the uphill limit of the 200 foot wide corridor, and (3) the portion of corridor between the edge of the ditch and the downhill limit of the 200 foot wide corridor. Eacn or the two field archeologists took responsibility for one of the two lateral sub-corridors, and both were responsible for examination of the roadway and adjacent ditches. Heavily disturbea areas were examined from the roadway, since it was assumed that further construction would not significantly adversely effect an already significantly disturbed resource. Significantly disturbed areas included areas heavily scarred due to logging activities, areas over which a road had been constructed, and areas which had suffered massive distortion of surface sediments such as in the case of landslide areas. unaisturbed portions of corridors were examined on foot during a pedestrian survey. Pedestrian surveys consisted of on-the-ground inspection of from one to three sub-corridors, depending on the degree and location of prior disturbance. Definition of the sub-corridors in effect -9- defined a set of three parallel transects which covered the 200 foot wide corridor. As the spacing between the centerlines of these three transects did not exceed 25 yards, the spacing was well w1thin the guidelines proposed by the Alaska State Office ot the Bureau of Land Management (BLM Manual 8111.14(B:3)) for an intensive (Class 3) archeological survey. Transects were examined by an archeologist following a zig-zag path. Few test excavations (test pits) were found to be needed due to the frequency of other means to examine the subsurface sediments. Each of the three survey areas differed in certain respects, so certain modifications were made in the basic procedure for each area. These will be discussed below. Once each set of transects was examined for a given segment of a corridor, results of transect investigations were compared in order to determine if any significant differences in observations had occurred. This never was the case, but if it had happened, an explanation would have been sought. Results of the surveys were noted and eventually retranscribed into this document. -10- ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS FOR HUMAN OCCUPATION OF THE STUDY AREA In order to estimate the potential for archeology within the project area it is necessary to gain some insight as to how long the area has been inhabitable. Within that time range, we must then establish the types of natural resources that might have drawn early man to the area. Unfortunately, much of the data needed to provide better understanding of this problem are not yet available. Some or the available data have been summarized by Fladmark (1979) in his discussion ot the possibilities of finding additional evidence for early man along the Pacific Gulf Coast of Alaska. Fladmark wrote ( Ibid. : 59): Immediately north of the Queen Charlotte Islands,· the Alexander Archipelago of Southeastern Alaska has seen little geological research. Swanston (1969) reports undated evidence for two glaciations on the east coast of Prince of Wales Island, which he correlates with main and late Wisconsinan events in Cook Inlet. Max- imum ice surfaces up to 900 m for the earlier, more extensive glaciation in the middle of the Alexander Arcnipelago suggest that any glaciers reaching the outer west coast were restricted to valleys and sounds, separated by ice-free headlands and ridges. The latter might be sufficient to provide the biotic refugia that Heusser (1960) postulates for the area. It is apparent from Fladmark's comments that the western side of Pr1nce of Wales Island may have been available for prehistoric human exploitation as early as late Pleistocene times, over ten thousand years ago. Additional geologic investigations appear necessary betore full discussion is possible concerning the nature -11- and extent ot coastal areas which might have been made available by a lower Wisconsinan sea level. Some areas may now be under water due to eustatic sea level changes, while.other areas may now lie higher than sea level due to isostatic rebound effects. Heusser is one of the earliest scientists to argue for coastal migration of early man in~o the New world. In 1960 (Ibid. : 209) he wrote, Anthropologists generally agree that the route early man followed onto this continent was by way of Bering Strait (Griffin 1960). They also generally agree that his route continued southward by way of unglaciated interior Alaska and along the Rocky Mountain front. The northwestern coast is usually discounted as a route, mainly because its cultures are young. The Great Frazer midden deposit in vancouver, British Columbia, for example, dates from only 2100 ± 900 B.P. (Broecker and Kulp 1957). Strong geo- logical evidence indicates that unglaciated corridors, where man may have waited for an ice age to pass during a migration, are apparent in western and central Alaska, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, and Alberta (Wilson, et. al. 1958, Fig. 48). In some of these corridors, botanical studies point toward refugia for plants at least, if not also for man and other animals (Halliday and Brown 1943, Hansen 1949a and b). But refugia and unglaciated tracts appear certain to have existed, as we~l, along the North Pacific coast. It would seem just as likely that early man followed this route either during or between times of glaciation. Both routes are conjectural, since conclusive evidence is still lacking. Heusser continues and lists three main reasons for his preference for the coastal migration thesis: "(1) equable oceanic climate, (2) available marine food, and (3) greater travel facility by water, particularly through coastal archipelagoes.• (Ibid.). It was not until after publication of Heusser's comments in 1960 -12- that the first prehistoric archeological site was excavated in Southeast Alaska. That site, the Ground Hog Bay II site near Glacier Bay, has been radiocarbon dated to circa 10,000 B.P. (Ackerman 1964, 1973, 1979). More recently a second prehistoric site has been excavated along the southeast side of Baronof Island. The Hidden Falls site has been radiocarbon dated to circa 9,500 B.P. (Davis 1979, 1980). The third of only three known prehistoric sites in Southeast Alaska was recently tested. Th1s site, the Irish Creek site, has yet to be dated, but it has yielded a core"and microblade technology and so presumably dates to early Holocene time (that period following the last major glaciation, approximately the last 10,000 years). The Irish Creek site is located on the west coast of Kupreanof Island (Roberts 1982). These three archeological sites attest to the early postglacial human occupancy of the Pacific Gulf Coast. Other evidence for early human occupation along the Pacific Gulf Coast has been reported by other investigators. An artifact complex, named the "Moresby Tradition", from the Queen Charlotte Islands dates to circa 7,400 B.P. (Fladmark 1979). Early Holocene archeological sites have also been reported from Cook Inlet (Reger 1978), the Alaska Peninsula (Dumond 1971), and the Aleutian Islands (Laughlin 1975) • Thus areas both to the north and south of Prince of Wales Island have produced evidence of early Holocene occupation. In view of the fact that several archeological sites have now been -13- discovered along the Pacific Gulf Coast of Alaska, and in view of the fact that some of these sites have been demonstrated to date to late glacial or early postglacial time, a paleogeographic reconstruction of the Northwest Coast proposed by Fladmark (1978: 124) may be appropriate. The v1s1on ot an unbroken wall of ice completely sealing in the Northwest Coast during the Wisconsinan Glaciation should be replaced by the more complex and realistic pic- ture of an Greenland-like shoreline, with major glaciers spilling out to the ocean through trunk valleys, but sep- arated and flanked by strips of ice-free coast, unglaci~ted headlands and offshore islands. Rapid deglaciation following Wisconsin time quickly freed Prince of Wales Island for expanded human occupation. A glacial advance during the period 20,000 to 15,000 B.P. (Swanston 1969) apparently was followed by a dryer and colder period from 15,000 to 12,000 B.P. (Heusser 1966). A warmer and wetter period from 12,000 to 11,000 B.P. was rapid glacier retreat (Ibid.)~ but this was short lived and the climate reverted back to a dry, cold climate for the interval between 11,000 and 10,500 B.P. (Miller and Anaerson 1974). Heusser (~ cite.) and Swanston (1969) have documented what they interpret as a climatic shift to a moister but still cold climate during the period 10,000 to 8,000 B.P. This was associated with another glacial advance on Prince of Wa~es Island. Reversal back to a warm, dry climate is postulated by Heusser (1966) to have occurred during the period from approximately 8,500 -14- to 4,500 B.P. Although various authors disagree as to the exact timing, it is during this warm period that the temperature maximum occurred. This hypsothermal event is dated between 5,500 and 3,250 B.P. (Miller and Anderson 1974), betwen 7,050 and 4,150 B.P. by McKenzie and Goldwait (1971), and at 3,500 ± 250 B.P. by Heusser (1953). The period following the hypsothermal has been characterized as cool and dry between 4,500 and 3,000 and as cool and wet from 3,000 B.P. to the present (Heusser 1966). Although we mu~t be somewhat cautious in relying too heavily on Heusser's interpretations (Anderson 1977: 10), his data set is the most complete with respect to Prince of Wales Island. Heusser (1960: 178) offers a tentative reconstruction of vegetational history along the Alexander Archipelago (see Table 1) • It is apparent that wood for fuel and construction would have been available to anyone choosing to occupy Prince of Wales Island during late glacial time, and from then on. With wood available for fue~, shelter, and boat construction, it then becomes a question ot wnether or not adequate food resources were present. The valleys that separate Prince of Wales Island from the mainland would have been quickly inundated by the Pacific Ocean, rising at the close of the last glacial period. Thus the larger fauna found on the island today must closely represent the variety of fauna that has been trapped on the island since the period of lower sea level. Faunal species present on Prince of Wales Island today are MiJ.lenia B.P. -15- TABLE 1. ALEXANDER ARCHIPELAGO VEGETATIONAL HISTORY 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -------------------Hemlock-Spruce Lodgepole Pine Sphagnum -------------------Western Hemlock Mountain Hemlock Sitka Spruce Loagepole Pine Heaths Western Hemlock Sitka Spruce Lysichitum (Marine Transgression) Ruppia Chenopodiaceae Alder Spruce Mountain Hemlock Lysichitum Ferns Lodgepole Pine Alder ------------ Ferns (postglacial> ================== (late glacial) Alder -Willow Lodgepole Pine MUSKEG REGENERATION AND INVASION OF COAST FOREST WESTERN HEMLOa< MAXIMUM 3500 + 250 B.P. COASTAL FOREST PREDOMINANCE 6100 + 300 B.P. 7800 + 300 B.P. (volcanic ash) LODGEPOLE PINE PARKLAND 10,300 + 600 B.P. ------------------------------------------------------------------- -16- limited in number and represent animal forms which do not occur in herd aggregates. Large species present now, or in the recent past, include black bears, deer and wolves. In stark contrast to this meager list is the list of sea mammals which frequent the near snore waters and coastal streams of the island. The waters around Prince of Wales Island abound with harbor seals, sea lions, sea otters, whales, and a large variety of waterfowl and seabirds (State of Alaska 1974). In addition, a large number of marine fishes are present; some of these fish species spawn in the rivers of the island. Since human hunters, as predators, must of necessity hunt those areas where food is most abundant, the coastal areas of Prince of Wales Island can be expected to have attracted the greatest number of hunters in the past. This situation continues today. Coastal areas provide adequate staging areas for near-shore marine mammal hunting, shoreline and stream fishing, and the hunting of other island predators such as bears, which will also congregate near . prey species. Shore areas are also contiguous to water which represents a much smoother, and therefore much easier traversed, surface tnan the steep-sided and heavily vegetated inland regions. In a recent study commissioned by the Outer Continental Shelf Office, Bureau of Land Managment (Dixon 1979), an attempt was made to delineate terrain features most likely to be associated with detectable archeological sites in coastal settings. Reasoning -17- that winter settlements require a greater amount of ground alteration to prepare than do summer settlements, the study concluded, "Large winter settlements will be located in areas where the greatest possibility exists of securing surplus faunal harvest." Areas for which the probability of finding an archeological site ("high probability areas") is relatively high were defined as: 1. Non-glacial river mouths and constricted marine approaches to these river mouths, river margins and lake outlets: 2. Natural terrestrial constrictions, such as passes, which funnel large mammal movements; 3. Prominent spits, points, rocky capes, headlands and islands that may have provided habitat for Phocid and Otarid seals and for marine birds. Such habitat is only considered high potential if it occurs in conjunction with one or more additional habitat types, or if there is a natural constriction which would tend to concentrate these species; 4. Areas of habitat diversity and general high marine intertidal productivity, particularly those which might have prompted extensive machrophyte develop- ment. An example of this type of environment would be deep sinuous embayments. When these criteria are applied to Prince of Wales Island it becomes immediately apparent that modern settlement patterns (see Sealaska 1975) conform to the above predictions. This review of environmental parameters which could be expected to have influence settlement of Prince of Wales Island has demonstrated that the island could have supported a human population since early prehistoric times. Known coastal and near -18- shore archeological sites along the Pacific Gulf Coast attest to the fact that sufficient technological skill existed to allow travel throughout the Alexander Archipelago~ the raw materials for both construction and food were available1 and the region was deglaciated at an early time. These conditions have not substantialy changed in over 10,000 years. Thus, there is every reason to believe that humans have occupied Southeastern Alaska, and perhaps Prince of Wales Island, for many many generations. If our perceptions are closely mirrored in reality, we can expect to eventually discover a long and rich prehistory there. -19- THE SURVEY The archeological survey plan was designed so as to maximize detection of surface and near surface archeological and/or historical features. Methods of survey are discussed in the methods chapter of this report. The 1982 archeological survey was divided into three tasks, each conforming to one of the survey areas defined in the scope of work. These three areas were: (1) a portion of Black Lake Valley, (2) an area just north of Natzuhini Bay, and (3) an area near Hydaburg. This chapter will discuss the survey of each of these three areas as separate but related surveys. The surveys discussed were conducted between the 19th and 27th of July 1982. Survey archeologists were Glenn and George Bacon; these two archeologists coordinated to conduct the cultural resources portion of the original feasibility study in 1980. Continuity between the 1980 and the 1982 efforts was thereby maximized. This allowed for greater efficiency in the field than might otherwise have been possible. Cost and time savings were also realized in obviating the need for project orientation and background literature research. The 1982 field team had also had the opportunity to meet or speak with many of the contact persons associated with the project. This prior experience also helped provide for a more efficient field effort. -20- The following persons were contacted prior to initiation of field archeological survey: 1. Robert Loescher, Director of Natural Resources, Sealaska Corporation, Juneau 2. Kurt Korthals, Sealaska Timber Corporation, Ketchikan 3. Robert Sanderson, Chairman of the Board, Haida Corporation, Hydaburg 4. Dave Barber, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Ketchikan 5. Chris Rabich Campbell, U.S.D.A. Forest Service Archeologist, Ketchikan Attempts were made to contact the following persons who were unavailable: 6. Percy Frisby, President, Haida Corporation, Hydaburg 7. John Galea, Sealaska Timber Corporation, Ketchikan -21- The Black Lake Valley Survey The Black Lake archeological survey was completed in two segments. The first segment was that portion down-valley from the outlet of Black Lake. This segment parallels an existing logging road; thus the roadcut on the uphill side of the road provided an excellent exposure of subsurface sediments. Much of this segment had also already been cleared during by logging prior to our survey. The resulting situation was one in which no test pits needed to be excavated, since adequate exposures were available for inspection. The second segment of the Black Lake Valley survey was in stark contrast to the first segment. That portion of the Black Lake Valley survey, which paralleled Black Lake and then continued on to the powerhouse site, traversed an extremely steep sidehill area. Steep sidehill areas in Southeastern Alaska are commonly characterized by tangles of large deadfalls, and this segment of the Black Lake survey area was no exception. In addition to deadfalls, the underbrush was extremely thick. Sediment exposures in segment two were generally restricted to stream channels, which were incised into the hillside, and to the shoreline of Black Lake. Landslide scars were evident on the hillside, attesting to the downslope movement of surface and near surface sediments. Hand dug test pits were restricted to areas thought to be flat enough to contain intact archeological materials. The only areas which fit this description were along -22- I J 0 1*9 -e+ &3 3000 0 3000 ecAIO F3 F3 F3 eea E*FH E+iii E±±3 I 5 0 SCALE 1:63360 Es~~:&bEII:::E!a:::a•!E!I!~!E!!ii!!!l!-~i::::========:Ba5!ii;!I9!SaE!!!!!i!!5!i!5!i.C.========~ MILES 9000 12000 15000 18000 21000 FEET ------F++3 F**3 F+H F*ri' F¥*3 3 5 KILOMETERS CONTOUR INTERVAL 100 FEET MAP . 2. BLACK LAKE VICINITY -23- the lake shoreline. The best lakeshore beach we found was the result of a landslide chute. It is estimated that several dozen exposures, both natural and had dug, were examined during the Black Lake Valley survey. Along the alignment, the many uprooted trees and several stream crossings obviated the need for hand dug test pits. The natural erosion scars proved that little soil was mixed with a rock rubble of broken bedrock. All indications were that massive downslope movement of material was in progress. Toward the powerhouse site location, an apparent alluvial fan was visible. Large boulders indicate occasional heavy discharge, probably mixed with landslide material. It is concluded that site visibility along the segment of the survey route parallel and up-valley to Black Lake is extremely poor, but the likelihood of undetected sites is equally extremely poor. Site visibility along the section of the valley downstream from the outlet of Black Lake is relatively better. However, the survey alignment is located along steep sidehill areas and away from the Black Lake outlet stream. Also much of the alignment corridor along this segment has been logged and shows the resulting disturbance to surface soils. Thus, the opportunity to locate in §ity archeological sites is even further reduced. Both segment of the Black Lake Valley survey corridor exhibit all indications of being too unstable to have attracted human -24- occupation. While small ephemeral sites can be expected along lower elevations in the valley, sites along the sidehill areas are expected to be rare, extremely difficult to located if they exist, and probably greatly displaced spatially. The Natzuhini Bay Survey The Natzuhini Bay survey covered a corridor parrallel to a segment of the road which will eventually connect Hydaburg with Craig and Klawock. This survey corridor is approximately three miles long, rounds the head of the bay, and for a short distance parallels the eastern shoreline of the bay. All of the surveyed corridor is in the vicinity of the old Natzune Bay Village Site (Sealaska 1975: 308), but the northernmost portion of the survey corridor lies along areas more topographically sui ted to settlement, and it was assumed that the potential for finding archeological and historical materials was higher there. However, nearly all of this survey corridor was along steep sidehill areas, so it was thought that the general potential for finding significant cultural resources was low. An obvious exception was a location where the corridor crossed the river flowing into the east arm of Natzuhini bay. It is on this arm that the Natzune Bay Village was located. As was the case with the Black Lake Valley survey corridor, we -25- conceptually divided the Natzuhini Bay survey into two segments. One segment covered that portion of the corridor north and west of the current boat landing; a second segment cove~ed that portion of the survey corridor south of the boat landing. These two segments we referred to as the northern segment and the southern segment. The northern segment was characterized by steep sidehill areas, the surface sediments of much of which had been disturbed by logging operations prior to our survey. One exception was where the corridor crossed the river flowing into the eastern arm of Natzuhini Bay. Many exposure of the surface sediments were " available for inspection, consequently no additional hand dug test pits were excavated. The most accessible of the soil exposures was the road cut that was continuous along the survey corridor. This revealed a shallow sediment mantle over broken, angular bedrock. Trees which had been uprooted during logging operations revealed a multitude of craters which could be examined for subsurface cultural materials. Portions of the northern corridor segment which had not been logged can be characterized as steep sidehills which are deeply incised by several small streams flowing to tidewater. Overbank deposits were noted near the river channel which flows into the eastern arm of Natzuhini Bay. These deposits were carefully examined where they are cut along the banks of the river. -26- The southern segment lies along even more steeply graded sidehill areas than is the northern segment. However, its proximity to beach areas offered some promise for locating cultural material along the bay side of the corridor. Two excellent exposures of underlying sediments parallel the southern segment; one is the roadcut on the uphill side of the road, and the other is the highwater wave cut along the beach. At the time of our survey of the beach cut the tide was at a minus tide. Both of these longitudinal exposures are crosscut by several streams which drop down the hillside in deeply cut channels. Aside from trimming back vegetation from these existing surface exposures, no •n additional test pits were dug. At only one location along the Natzhini Bay survey did we find apparent evidence of an archeological site. At a point where a large stream flows into Natzuhini Bay from the east (just opposite the location of Natzune Bay village) and intersects the beach, a small assemblage of broken and crushed clam shells was discovered near the high water mark. These shell fragments probably represented no more than approximately two dozen clams. An exhaustive search yielded no other shell remains or any other evidence of a midden deposit, so it was concluded that the shell fragments were natural in origin. • . . .. . c!}~ignal ,:;.~;· <:*: .,:·.-.. / -27- $CALE 1:63360 3000 0 3000 6000 9000 F+i -E3 ~ ------e+++ E** .5 l 5 KILOMETRES rONTOUR INTERVAL lllO FEET ·MAP 3. NATZUHINI BAY VICINITY, SHOWING NATZUHINI BAY AND HYDABURG SURVEY AREAS -28- The Hydaburg Survey The Hydaburg portion of our three survey areas consisted of a corridor beginning near the eastern shore of Natzuhini Bay, at a point approximately one mile south of the southern terminus of the southern segment of the Natzuhini Bay survey area. The Hydaburg survey area ended at a proposed substation site just northeast of the community of Hydaburg. The survey began with a drive to the boat landing near the end of the Craig-Klawock to Hydaburg road. From that point we traveled by boat, chartered from Mr. Leslie Edenshaw, to a point along the shoreline opposite the northern terminus of the Hydaburg survey area. Landing the boat at the shore, we then hiked inland to intercept the flagged centerline of the proposed road alignment which would eventually link Hydaburg with the communities further north. Once the centerline had been located, we surveyed the corridor while walking toward Hydaburg. After reaching Hydaburg we were returned by boat to the boat landing where we had left our land vehicle. While fully vegetated, the Hydaburg survey area proved much easier to travel than did the Black Lake survey area. Fewer and small deadfalls did little to impede our survey. The underbrush also seemed to be much less dense than we had experienced further north. At times, when the survey corridor came closest to the beach, we could see the water very close. These beach areas were -29- examined from the inland side, and also from the boat at a minus tide. While no prehistoric sites were located during the survey of the Hydaburg section, we did note that the evidence for historic period land use increased as we approached Hydaburg. Most evident were the large number of smaller trees which had been cut. Due to their small size relative to other trees in the vicinity, it was assumed that the cut trees were harvested for fuel or construction. We also noted several sets of plastic flagging and numerous blazed trees. One cedar tree, located at the approximate substation site, had a thirty foot long strip of bark removed; but this removal was very recent. The most obvious cultural feature encountered during the survey, aside from Hydaburg itself, was a wooden aquaduct. This aquaduct is noted on the u.s. Geological Survey maps of the area (A-3), and is of recent origin. According to a Public Health Services Report (n.d.), the aquaduct was constructed along with a dam across the Hydaburg River in 1935. It purpose was to bring water to Hydaburg. However, seasonal icing problems in the aquduct led the system to be abandoned. In 1962 the aquaduct was extended from its previous terminus at a chloriation station to the local cannery. The orignal aquaduct was built to a ten inch square duct, and the 1962 extension was built to a six inch square duct. In 1964 the dam was renovated. Originally constructed at a pool elevation ot 90 feet, the v-shaped dam is 50 feet wide, 20 feet -30- high, and ten feet thick. -31- POST-SURVEY INTERVIEWS AND RECORDS CHECK At the invitation of Robert Loescher we visited the Sealaska offices in Juneau to examine their records regarding historical use of the three survey areas. Assisted by Ms. Sherry Holmes, we held discussions with both Richard Harris, Environmental Coordination Manager, and Vince Matt, Forest and Lands Manager for Sealaska. We also talked with David Katzeek, President of the Sealaska Heritage Foundation. While a literature search had been conducted prior to the initial Black Bear Lake hydroelectric project archeological survey in 1980, we took the opportunity provided to examine Sealaska records with the thought that the earlier literature search may have overlooked some item of historical interest. We also wished to obtain specific information on the aquaduct near Hydaburg. The very helpful people with whom we met expressed interest in our cultural resources investigation, but in the end could provide no new data on historical sites which we had not already gathered in 1980. Useful information was provided concerning the Hydaburg aquaduct, and this information has been included in this report. -32- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS An intensive and careful archeological survey of three survey areas, all potentially impacted by development of the Black Bear Lake hydroelectric site, yielded evidence of only minor historical use of the land. Aside from logging roads, material remains consisted of a minor litter of trash and of several cut trees near Hydaburg. The modern litter appeared to be randomly distributed over the landscape, but was clearly associated with the existing roadways. None of it is considered to possess necessary antiquity to be considered for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places under criteria set forth in 36 CFR 800 FF. The cut trees near Hydaburg may represent harvest of construction or fuel materials, or they may be related to construction of a wooden aquaduct. None of this activity occurred early enough to be considered historically significant. No significant archeological or historical sites were discovered either during the archeological survey or during the pre-field literature search or during interviews held with several person especially knowledgeable about area history. An earlier study of remaining portions of the potential impact area concluded that those areas contained no significant cultural material which would be adversely effected by proposed construction of the Black Bear Lake hydroelectric facility and associated transmission lines. An -33- archeological survey conducted by the u.s.o.A. Forest Service on land between our Natzuhini Bay survey area and our Hydaburg survey area also failed to detect the presence of significant historical material. Thus we conclude that construction of the Black Bear Lake hydroelectric project poses no threat to any known significant cultural resource. Because archeology is a limited science it is not foolproof. The standard archeological techniques employed during our investigation may fail to detect buried cultural material. Given the thoroughness of our effort, we feel this possibility to be extremely remote. However, in the event that historical material is encountered during construction, it is appropriate to contact the land owner and the Alaska Historic Preservation Office for guidance. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ackerman, R. 1968 The Archeology of the Glacier Bay Region, Southeastern Alaska. washington State University Laboratory of Anthropology, Report of Investigation No. 44, Pullman. 1973 Post Pleistocene Cultural Adaptations of the Northern Northwest Coast. in INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE PREHISTORY AND PALEOECOLOGY OF THE WESTERN ARCTIC AND SUB-ARCTIC, pp. 1-20, University of Calgary Archaeological Association. Ackerman, R. & T. Hamilton & R. Stuckenrath 1979 Early Culture Complexes on the Northern Northwest Coast. paper presented at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archeology, Vancouver, B.C. Anderson, P. 1977 Alaskan Climatic History: 6000 BP to Present. typescript, ms 18 pp. Bacon, G. 1980 Archeological Investigations for the Proposed Black Bear Lake Hydroelectric Project, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. report from Alaskarctic to CH2M Hill, 26 pp. Bureau of Land Management n.d. Manual 8111.14, Guideline for Class 3 Archaeological Survey Davis, 1979 s. Hidden Falls, A Stratified Site in southeast Alaska. paper presented at the 32nd Annual Northwest Anthropological Conference, March 22-24, Eugene, Oregon. 1980 Hidden Falls: A Multicomponent Site in the Alexander Archiplago of the Northwest Coast. paper presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archeology, Philadelphia. Dixon, 1979 Dumond, 1971 E. Lower Cook Inlet Cultural Resource Study. report prepared for the Outer Continental Shelf Office, Bureau of Land Management, Contract AA551-cT8-29, Anchorage. D. A Summary of Archaeology in the Katmai Regions, Southwestern, Alaska. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS, Eugene. Fladmark, K. 1978 The Feasibility of the Northwest Coast as a Migration Route for Early Man. in EARLY MAN IN AMERICA FROM A CIRCUM-PACIFIC PERSPECTIVE, edited by A. Bryan, pp. 119-128, Occasional Papers No. 1 of the Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton. 1979 Routes: Alternate Migration Corridors for Early Man in North America. in AMERICAN ANTIQUITY, 44(1): 55-69. Griffin, J. 1960 Some Prehistoric Connections between Siberia and America. in SCIENCE, 131: 810-812. Hansen, H. 1949a Postglacial Forests in West Central Alberta, Canada. in BULLETIN OF THE TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB, 76: 278-289. 1949b Postglacial Forests in south Central Alberta, Canada. in AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTONY, 36: 54-65 • .. Halliday, w. and A. Brown 1943 The Distribution of Some Important Forest Trees in Canada. ECOLOGY, 24: 353-373. Heusser, c. 1953 Radiocarbon Dating of the Thermal Maximum in Southeastern Alaska. ECOLOGY, 34(3): 637-640. 1960 Late Pleistocene Environment of North Pacific North America. American Geographical Special Publication No. 35. 1966 Polar Hemispheric Correlation: Palynological Evidence from Chile and the Pacific Northwest of America. in WORLD CLIMATE FROM 8,000 TO 0 B.C. Proceedings of the International Symposium on world Climate, Imperial College, London, edited by J. Sawyer, pp. 124-142, Royal Meteorological Society, London. Laughlin, w. 1975 Aleuts: Ecosystems, Holocene History, and Siberian Origin. SCIENCE, 189(4202). McKenzie, D. and R. Goldwait 1971 Glacial History of the last 11,000 Years in Adams Inlet, Southeastern Alaska. GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN 82, pp. 1767-1782. Miller, M. and J. Anderson 1974 Out-of-Phase Holocene Climatic Trends in the Maritime and Continental Sectors of the Alaska-Canada Boundary Range. in QUATERNARY ENVIRONMENTS: PROCEEDINGS OF A SYMPOSIUM, First York University Symposium on Quaternary Research, edited by w. c. Mahaney, Geographical Monographs No. 5, York University, Toronto. Public Health Service n.d. Final Report on Sanitation Facilities Construction for Hydaburg, Alaska: Engineering Report. report to the Indian Health Service, Environmental Health Branch, Anchorage, Alaska, Project No. AN-72-930 & 75-138 Reger, D. 1978 1977 Excavations on the Beluga Point Site. paper presented at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Alaska Anthropology Association, Anchorage. Roberts, L. 1982 Southeas~ern Archaeology Viewed in Light of the Irish Creek Site. Abstracts of the 9th Annual Meeting of Alaska Anthropological Association, Fairbanks. Sealaska Corporation 1975 Native Cemetey and Historic Sites of Southeast Alaska. Juneau. State of Alaska 1974 ALASKA'S WILDLIFE AND HABITAT. Department of Fish and Game. Steward, J. 1959 THEORY OF CULTURE CHANGE: THE METHODOLOGY OF MULTILINEAR EVOLUTIION. University of Illinois Press. Swanston, D. 1969 A Late Pleistocene Glacial Sequence from Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. ARCTIC, 22: 25-33. White, L. 1949 THE SCIENCE OF CULTURE: A STUDY OF MAN AND CIVILIZATION. Farrar Straus and Giroux, Toronto. Wilson, J. and~ Al 1958 Glacial Map of Canada. Geological Association of Canada, Toronto.