# Archaeological discovery at Shég' Xdaltth'í' in Alaska

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/archaeological-discovery-at-shg-xdaltth-in-alaska
> Updated: 2026-10-24T18:00:09.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient base camp near the Tanana River in interior Alaska, named Shég' Xdaltth'í', which translates to ‘they were there’ in the Athabaskan language. Initial findings identified the 13,800-year-old site as a potential location for the oldest known dwellings in the Americas and may contain evidence of the earliest domesticated dogs on the continent.

Subsequent research and decade-long excavations have revealed that the site shows evidence of human occupation across three distinct periods: 13,800, 13,000, and 12,700 years ago. Researchers have recovered more than 80,000 artifacts, including stone tools, needles, a large earth oven, and a stone anvil surrounded by crushed bison bones.

The discovery of unique diamond-shaped stone points, which are found in Russian territories but not in other Alaskan sites, suggests cultural links across the Beringia land bridge. Additionally, the use of red ochre and ivory projectiles indicates that these inhabitants shared cultural traits with southern North American groups. These findings challenge existing archaeological assumptions regarding the earliest indigenous inhabitants of North America and suggest a common way of life existed prior to the Clovis culture.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-24: Archaeological discovery in Alaska reveals ancient Beringia settlement

Archaeologists have discovered a well-preserved 13,800-year-old camp in Alaska, providing new evidence of human migration and cultural links across the ancient Beringia land bridge.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/archaeological-discovery-in-alaska-reveals-ancient-beringia-settlement

### 2026-10-17: Alaska archaeological site reveals 13,800-year-old base camp

Archaeologists in Alaska have uncovered a 13,800-year-old base camp, Shég' Xdaltth'í', containing potential evidence of the oldest dwellings and earliest domesticated dogs in the Americas.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/alaska-archaeological-site-reveals-13800-year-old-base-camp

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Cite as: Archaeological discovery at Shég' Xdaltth'í' in Alaska. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/archaeological-discovery-at-shg-xdaltth-in-alaska