The Identification of Hafting Adhesive on a Slotted Antler Point from a Southwest Yukon Ice Patch

Abstract

This article describes the identification of a hafting adhesive on an antler point, slotted for microblade insertion. The adhesive, found in the slots of the point, would have held the microblades in place. Radiocarbon dated to 7310 ± 40 B.P. (uncalibrated), the point is one of the oldest and best-preserved artifacts recovered from the melting alpine ice patches in southwestern Yukon, Canada. Because the artifact was frozen, the organic components have not degraded and a detailed chemical analysis was possible. Analyses of residue in the slots of the point by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that a conifer resin adhesive was used. The high concentration of diterpene resin acids with an abietane or pimerane skeleton confirmed a Pinaceae source for the resin. There were no chemical markers to indicate that the resin had been strongly heated to produce tar or pitch. Based on a comparison with five Pinaceae resins from trees common to southern Yukon, the resin from the slotted point most closely resembles the chemical profile of spruce (Picea sp.). The identification of this hafting adhesive on a slotted point adds significantly to our understanding of early hunting technology in Yukon.