This picture shows the only Chindadn point found during the re-excavation of the Moose Creek site in 1996 and the only one ever found on this site to date.

A fairly large number of artifacts were discovered in component I. The most important was a diagnostic Chindadn projectile point. This thin teardrop-shaped point was made from non-local purplish-red chert. It was discovered approximately 2 meters (6.5 feet) from the hearth. It measures 34 mm (1 5/16 inches) long, 25 mm (1 inch) wide and 4 mm (3/8 inch) thick.

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CHINDADN POINT
A CAST OF THIS POINT IS AVAILABLE
NENANA COMPLEX
MOOSE CREEK SITE--CENTRAL ALASKA
1996 RE-EXCAVATION

This is the only tear-drop shaped Chindadn point found on the Moose Creek site. It was found in the lowest occupation level approximately 2 meters from the hearth. This point was made from non-local purplish chert and measures 34 mm (1 5/16 inches) long, 25 mm (1 inch) wide and 4 mm (3/8 inch) thick. It's a very good example of the rounded base style of Nenana complex projectile points.

The most numerous artifacts found in the Nenana occupation level was a large number of flakes scattered over a wide area. Other artifacts found include two large cobbles, two side-scrapers, a biface, a scraper-plane, a flake core, a hammerstone and a subtriangular projectile point. The two large cobbles showed pitting that indicate they were probably used as anvils. The ends of the hammerstone was battered and parallel striations can be seen on its surface. These wear patterns suggest that it may also have been used to grind platform edges during stone tool manufacture.

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SUBTRIANGULAR POINT
A CAST OF THIS POINT IS AVAILABLE
NENANA COMPLEX
MOOSE CREEK SITE--CENTRAL ALASKA
1996 RE-EXCAVATION

This Subtriangular point represents one of two different styles of Nenana complex projectile points. Chindadn points have rounded or tear-drop shaped bases, this example has a very straight base. Moose Creek is the first site in the Nenana Valley to produce both the tear-drop and triangular style of Nenana complex projectile points. This point was manufactured on a smooth flake of basalt that was pressure flaked along the edges into shape. It measures 1 1/16 inches (2.6 cm) long, 11/16 inch (1.7 cm) wide and 2 mm thick.

Two other Nenana sites in the Nenana Valley have produced Chindadn points. One is Walker Road and the other is called Dry Creek. Three complete tear-dropped shaped Chindadn points were found at Walker Road. They were excavated within a Nenana occupation level in component I that was dated to 11,330 + 80 B.P. The three points range in size from 1 3/8 inches (3.5 cm) for the smallest one to 1 3/4 inches (4.5 cm) for the longest one.

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"REFERENCES"

1991, "Clovis Origins and Adaptations," "The Nenana Complex of Alaska and Clovis Origins," by Ted Goebel, Roger Powers and Nancy Bigelow, pp 49-76.
1993, "From Kostenki to Clovis," "The Ones That Will Not Go Away," by J.M. Adovasio, pp. 203-204.
1997, "Expedition Affirms Significance of Moose Creek Site," Mammoth Trumpet, Vol. 12, No. 4, October, pp. 13-18.
1997, "new Evidence for a Nenana-Complex Occupation at the Moose Creek Site, Central Alaska: Preliminary Results of the 1996 Re-excavation," Current Research of the Pleistocenn,14, by Georges A. Pearson, pp. 72-74.
1999, "Early Occupation and Cultural Sequence at Moose Creek: A Late Pleistocene Site in Central Alaska," Arctic Vol. 52, No. 4, by Georges A. Pearson, pp. 332-345.
2002, "Late-Pleistocene and Holocene Microblade Industries at the Moose Creek Site," Current Research of the Pleistocene, 17, by Georges A. Pearson, pp. 64-65.
Personal communications with Dr. Georges A. Pearson.

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