IN THE WAKE OF PREHISTORIC NORTH PACIFIC SEA MAMMAL HUNTERS

Examination of faunal and artifactual data from several archaeological sites in the Aleutian Islands, the Pacific coast of the Alaska Peninsula, and Kodiak Island reveals evidence of a prehistoric exchange or interaction pattern at least as early as Late Kachemak/early Koniag times [c. 1200 years ago]. There is increasing evidence that this apparent exchange/interaction network coincided with important distributions and migratory habits of many of the sea mammals that were exploited by native populations. I propose that the exchange of material items and cultural ideas resulted from systematic movements of maritime subsistence hunters from various ethnic groups of the North Pacific rim. These sea hunters possessed similar technology and used similar hunting practices in very similar coastal environments.