A track in the Tanana: Forensic analysis of a Late Holocene footprint from central Alaska

Abstract

An ancient feature resembling a shod human footprint was recently discovered adjacent to a buried prehistoric housepit dating to ~1840 cal yr BP at the Swan Point site in central Alaska. Recovery of footprints in this context is rare, prompting us to question if the impression was indeed the result of human activity. We tested if the feature’s morphometrics fell within the mean biometrics of a shod human footprint using photogrammetric modeling techniques and classic landmark analyses. The feature was extensively photographed throughout the excavation, and the photos were used to produce three-dimensional photogrammetric digital models from which to obtain landmark biometrics. The results suggest that the feature falls within the expected mean parameters of a prehistoric human footprint. We characterized the footprint as belonging to a healthy, non-obese 9-12-year-old child. The presence of a child and well-constructed house in associated context suggests a healthy prehistoric family. The footprint represents the first of its kind from the subarctic, and the first described from Alaska.