The Origins of Beads in Alaska

Steven Rinella talks with Mike Kunz, Janis Putelis, Brody Henderson, Phil Taylor, and Corinne Schneider. 

Topics include: When we called Mike Kunz the "Forest Gump of Archaeology"; the emperor of the north and the king of the west; dustpans of mosquitos; foxes running out of a gray whale carcass; the Alaska pipeline project; igneous intrusions; when you find Paleoindian projectile points in Alaska; the poor odds that you were the first person to find a thing that someone else dropped; how the Mesa site was discovered; the property of conchoidal fracture; direct tattoo evidence and direwolves; how everyone knew how to make projectile points; polar bears and climate change; the arctic small tool tradition; two iron pendants, two copper rings, and three blue glass beads; Occam's razor; going with the evidence you have; The Mesa Site: Paleoindians above the Arctic Circle; and more. 

Connect with Steve and MeatEater

Steve on Instagram and Twitter

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube

Shop MeatEater Merch 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.