Using ethnoarchaeology and soils chemistry to examine fisheries on the Arctic Alaskan coast

The Arctic coast is a critical region for archaeologists to understand how fisheries have impacted hunter-gatherer development. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwestern Alaska is an ideal social and natural environment for archaeologists to study contemporary fisheries activity and their soils signatures. Here we discuss our combined methodological approach to studying fisheries among Native Yup'ik communities with a specific focus on the ethnographic component of our research. We suggest that fisheries-focused research promises to inform current models of coastal adaptation and behavior.