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Microblades are one of the stone tools that spread toward the northeast with wide range human migration after the Last Glacial Maximum in Beringia, and are key to understanding the first migrants to the New World. The Yubetsu method was one of the most widely spread techniques in western Beringia. In Eastern Beringia, Swan Point is the only archaeological site bearing microcores from the East Beringian tradition phase I (here after EBt-I) layer which were produced by the Yubetsu method. There are three archaeological complexes in interior Alaska following EBt-I: the Nenana, Chindadn, and Denali. The former two complexes bear distinctive Chindadn points and the latter has Campus type microcores. Cultural continuity of the local complexes has been argued for decades in discussing the peopling of the Americas. However, because the distinctive Yubetsu microcore is only found at the Swan Point site, discussing cultural connection among these complexes based on microcores is difficult. The Chindadn point was also considered to have roots in the Old World, but no candidate yet has been confirmed. In contrast, large numbers of microblades have been found in EBt-I, Chindadn and Denali complexes, and also in the Northern Archaic tradition, although their production methods are different. In this study we use microblades from EBt-I and Northern Archaic tradition components at Swan Point to elucidate co-occurrence of microcore technological and microblade morphological changes. Results from this study show continuous production of microblades for slotted osseous point weaponry was stable through time. Given that cultural change occurred, the results provide a framework to discuss the continuity of hunting weapon technology and its relationship with hunting prey, indirectly, and with zooarchaeological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pressure knapping technique develops circa 25,000 cal BP in Northeast Asia and excels at producing highly standardized microblades. Microblade pressure knapping spreads throughout most of Northeast Asia up to the Russian Arctic, and Alaska, in areas where the human presence was unknown. Swan Point CZ4b is the earliest uncontested evidence of human occupation of Alaska, at around 14,000 cal BP. It yields a pressure microblade component produced with the Yubetsu method, which is widespread in Northeast Asia during the Late Glacial period. Through the techno-functional analysis of 634 lithic pieces from this site, this study seeks to identify the techno-economical purposes for which the Yubetsu method was implemented. Data show that the microblade production system is related to an economy based on the planning of future needs, which is visible through blanks standardization, their overproduction, their functional versatility, and the segmentation of part of the chaîne opératoire. This expresses the efficiency and economic value of the microblade production system. The flexible use of pressure microblades identified at Swan Point CZ4b is also found in Japan, Korea, Kamchatka, and the North Baikal region, suggesting that their modes of use accompany the spread of early microblade pressure knapping over an immense territory across Beringia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]