27 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Anchorage’s Indigenous History: A 1000-Year-Old Dene Cache Found Near Cook Inlet

In June 2024, archaeologists from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) and Northern Land Use Research Alaska discovered a birch bark-lined cache at a known Dene (Athabascan) site along Upper Cook Inlet. The Dene language group extends from the interior of Alaska through Canada and into the American Southwest, with the Dena’ina and Ahtna peoples being among its speakers.

Elizabeth Ortiz, a cultural resource manager and archaeologist at JBER, explained that cache pits are similar to root cellars and were used to preserve fish, meat, and berries. These pits were dug into well-drained soils and lined with birch bark and layers of grasses to protect the food, making intact finds quite rare. Initial radiocarbon dating revealed that the cache was used approximately 1,000 years ago.

Margan Grover, an archaeologist at JBER, stated, “This is the oldest known site on the east side of Upper Cook Inlet and further substantiates Dena’ina and Ahtna oral traditions that the JBER and surrounding area have been used for a very long time.” The site has long been associated with the Dena’ina and Ahtna peoples and is located near a traditional trail used for travel between the area and the Matanuska and Susitna valleys.

The Dene people would come to this area in the spring and stay through the summer to catch and preserve salmon. Traditional houses, known as nichił, and smokehouses lined the bluff and beach along Upper Cook Inlet. The discovery of the cache provides a valuable learning opportunity for everyone involved. Grover emphasized, “I want this to be an opportunity for people to understand who the Dene of Knik Arm are and how their ancestors lived on the land that is now JBER and Anchorage.”

Archaeologists from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Northern Land Use Research Alaska, and area tribal councils encountered a birch bark-lined cache at a known Dene site along Upper Cook Inlet in June of 2024. Cache pits are similar to root cellars and were used to preserve fish, meat, and berries. Initial radiocarbon dating revealed that the cache was used around 1,000 years ago. Credit: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Archaeologists from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Northern Land Use Research Alaska, and area tribal councils encountered a birch bark-lined cache at a known Dene site along Upper Cook Inlet in June of 2024. Cache pits are similar to root cellars and were used to preserve fish, meat, and berries. Initial radiocarbon dating revealed that the cache was used around 1,000 years ago. Credit: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

Most of the site was demolished by military activities in 1942, but remarkably, this cache pit contains an intact birch bark lining and is one of the few undisturbed features left at the Dene site. Ortiz noted that additional radiocarbon and stable isotope tests could yield new and significant information about the history of Upper Cook Inlet. Researchers are also testing to determine what types of food were stored in the cache and what other activities took place in the surrounding area.

The stable isotope analysis examines ratios of nitrogen and carbon, revealing whether the food stored there was marine or terrestrial. Initial results indicate that the cache was used to store moose or caribou. Grover mentioned, “Our research questions and methods are being developed in collaboration with area tribes who have not had access to these traditional lands for many decades.”

The cache not only provides valuable information but also presents an opportunity for JBER to build relationships. Aaron Leggett, president of the Native Village of Eklutna, stated, “Research at this site provides an invaluable opportunity to work toward shared goals and the co-production of knowledge about our past.”

Researchers measure a test excavation they made into the wall of the cache during their visit in the summer of 2024. The white spot in the middle is the preserved birch bark. Credit: U.S. Air Force
Researchers measure a test excavation they made into the wall of the cache during their visit in the summer of 2024. The white spot in the middle is the preserved birch bark. Credit: U.S. Air Force

In conclusion, this 1000-year-old cache found near Cook Inlet serves as a testament to the Dene people’s stewardship of these lands and highlights the importance of preserving the rich cultural heritage of the region. Archaeological findings and oral histories illuminate the past, allowing local communities to reconnect with their history and heritage.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER)

Cover Image Credit: A depression around the cache where soil samples were taken during the archeologists’ visit in summer 2024. Credit: U.S. Air Force and Northern Land Use Research Alaska

Related Articles

New fortifications unearthed in Porsuk Mound excavations

11 August 2021

11 August 2021

In the excavations of Porsuk Mound, which is an important Hittite settlement and where traces of settlement remains can be...

Excavation of Carlisle Roman bathhouse uncovers a connection between the site and a third-century Roman emperor

27 September 2021

27 September 2021

Excavation of a Roman bath at the Carlisle Cricket Club in Stanwix, part of the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project, has...

Egyptian Pharaoh Slain in Battle Because of the Hippos

17 February 2021

17 February 2021

The mummy of Pharaoh Seqenenre Taa II, found in 1880, was re-analyzed. When it was found, the deep wounds on...

Archaeologists Discovered Submerged Stoa Complex in Ancient Salamis, Greece

27 October 2023

27 October 2023

Archaeologists exploring the east coast of Salamis, the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, discovered a large, long, and...

An Ancient Building and Gold Artifacts Found in the Ancient Greek City of Rypes in Achaea

10 December 2024

10 December 2024

Recent excavations on the Trapezá plateau, eight kilometers southwest of the city of Aigio in the Peloponnese, have uncovered an...

To The West of Turkey Ancient Quarry Found

28 March 2021

28 March 2021

Turkey is very lucky in terms of ancient settlements. It is home to many unexplored artifacts, along with well-preserved ancient...

Time Team Cracks Sutton Hoo Mystery: ‘Master Count’ Bucket Was a Burial Urn

20 May 2025

20 May 2025

In a remarkable breakthrough at the historic Sutton Hoo site in Suffolk, England, archaeologists have revealed that a 6th-century Byzantine...

New Discoveries on the İsland of Skokholm

29 March 2021

29 March 2021

New discoveries dating back 9000 years have been found in Skokholm, located in the Celtic Sea two miles off the...

Evidence of the Birth of Archaic Monotheism in Anatolia found at Oluz Höyük, “Havangah prayer at Oluz Höyük”

27 March 2022

27 March 2022

Oluz Höyük, located 25 kilometres west of Amasya, is an ancient city which has rich findings of religious structuring. During...

Millefiori Glass Plateques From the 5th Century AD Discovered in the Ancient Lycian City of Myra

9 September 2024

9 September 2024

One of the six leading cities of ancient Lycia and the birthplace of Santa Claus (or Sinterklaas in Dutch), the...

Archaeologists Found Evidence of a Lost Temple in Chorazin Linked to Jesus’ Healing Miracles

12 August 2024

12 August 2024

Recent archaeological excavations in Israel may have unearthed the remains of a long-lost temple, believed to be the very site...

2000-year-old Genuine Pompeii marble relief installed in a wall lining the staircase leading down to the basement in a Belgium home

22 December 2023

22 December 2023

An important marble relief depicting the earthquake of 62 AD, stolen from the ruins of ancient Pompeii in Italy in...

Ancient Hebrew “Incantation Bowls” discovered in a home in Israel

8 March 2022

8 March 2022

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said Monday that 1,500-year-old magical “incantation bowls” and other rare and ornate bone and ivory...

A 1900-year-old stele was discovered in Turkey’s ancient city of Parion

5 August 2021

5 August 2021

A 1,900-year-old grave stele was found during excavations in Parion, an important ancient port city, near Kemer village in the...

A cave in Argentina houses the oldest known pigment-based rock art in South America

15 February 2024

15 February 2024

An astounding collection of almost 900 rock paintings, dating back approximately 8,200 years, has been discovered in northwestern Argentina. The...