Hidden Falls (Baranof Island, Alaska) facts for kids

Hidden Falls is an archaeological site in Southern Alaska. It's a special place where scientists found proof that people lived there a very long time ago. They also found signs that these ancient people used many things from the ocean. This site dates back to an ancient time, between 9,500 and 1800 B.C.

What is Hidden Falls?

Where is Hidden Falls?

Hidden Falls is located on Baranof Island in Alaska. It sits about 39 meters (128 feet) above sea level, south of Kelp Bay. It's right across from a town called Sitka. The site was first found by people from the U.S. Forest Service. They started digging there in 1979.

Scientists used a method called radiocarbon dating to figure out how old things were. This showed that people were living at Hidden Falls about 10,000 years ago!

Digging Up the Past

The main digging at Hidden Falls was done by Stanley D. Davis in 1979. He led the team after the U.S. Forest Service first found the site.

What Did They Find?

When they dug into the ground, they found different layers. Each layer held clues about the past. They found many interesting things, including:

• Shells and animal bones
• Knives made of slate
• Points (like spearheads)
• Labrets (lip or cheek ornaments)
• Tools made of jade
• Tools made from bone
• Chipped stone tools
• Pendants made from drilled teeth

The site had three main time periods, or "components," based on the layers.

• The first and oldest period was about 9,500 years ago. It had tiny blades and tools sharpened on one side.
• The second period was from about 4,600 to 3,200 years ago.
• The third period was from about 3,000 to 1,300 years ago.

The two later periods had tools that were ground smooth, often made of slate.

The ground also contained layers of old shells and rocks broken by fire. The top layers didn't have as many shells. Rain and groundwater at the site helped keep many old things safe, like bones.

Tools and Technology

Ancient Stone Tools

The oldest tools found deep in the ground are from a very ancient time (around 10,500 to 4,400 B.C.). These tools included tiny blades and cobble stone tools. Some were called gravers (for carving) and scrapers (for scraping hides). Scientists think these stone tools might have come from Siberia and then became popular across Alaska.

Radiocarbon dating showed that some of these stone tools were about 9,500 B.C. The digging found many different types of tools. Some were used, and some were not. They found scrapers, small stone cores, and pebble choppers. One pebble chopper was dated to about 9,860 years ago.

Many of these tools were used for cutting, making edges, or hunting. A pebble chopper was a rounded stone. People would hit it with another stone to make a jagged edge. This edge was used to chop food or as a simple hunting tool. The microblade was a special technique. People who used microblades were probably very good at fishing and hunting sea animals.

Over time, microblades disappeared. New types of tools started to appear in the upper layers of the site. These included tools that were ground smooth. People also started making decorative items like pendants, shells, beads, and labrets.

Life by the Ocean

Hunting and Food

Hidden Falls is on an island, so the only way to get there was by boat. Because of its location, scientists believe the people living there relied a lot on the ocean for their food. The tools found at the site suggest they mostly hunted and gathered things from the sea.

Even though they probably hunted some land animals, sea creatures were their main food source. They found parts of special spears called toggling harpoons and barbed bone points. These show that they hunted sea mammals. Shellfish and traces of whale bones were also found. However, hunting whales was probably not a regular activity.

Scientists haven't found many fish bones at the site. So, it's hard to know exactly how much the people depended on fish for their daily meals.