Architecture and Complex Hearth Features at the Amaknak Bridge Site, Eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Abstract

During excavations at the Amaknak Bridge site (Unalaska Island, Eastern Aleutian Islands, ca. 2500–3600 B.P.) between 1977 and 2007, portions of 30 to 40 semi-subterranean structures lined with stone were unearthed. Many of these houses were fragmentary, having been eroded or truncated by later construction, but approximately 14 retained substantial structural integrity. Most contained complex hearth features consisting of fireplaces, vents, and sub-floor channels. The excavations at the Amaknak Bridge site represent the most complete investigation of this building technology, which has so far been seen at only three sites in the Aleutian chain.