ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the impact of catastrophic volcanism on hunter-gatherer populations in Arctic environments. It focuses on the effect of 4,0003,400 BP volcanism in the central Alaska Peninsula on regional human populations. This study is unique in both the size of the volcanically impacted landscape and the geographically constrained nature of the landscape affected by the volcanism. The Alaska Peninsula has two distinctly different landscapes. The Pacific side of the peninsula is dominated by the Aleutian Range, with steep-sided mountains fronting on a coast indented by numerous bays. Rocky capes project to the south and east, with small sandy beaches often found at the heads of bays. The Aleutian volcanic arc and other subduction zone volcanoes generally have explosive eruptions fuelled by viscous, high-silica magma. The scale and frequency of natural disasters affect their impact on regional human populations. The postglacial vegetation of the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands has been subject to volcanic effects since its initial establishment.
