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In 1997, Moss received a small National Science Foundation grant to investigate the Cape Addington Rockshelter located on Noyes Island, Alaska. This remote site had suffered some looting, and because of its unusual setting in a largely dry shelter in the very wet climate of southeast Alaska , it presented the potential of excellent preservation. A deposit nearly 3 m deep was excavated all of which was laid down within the last 2000 years. The faunal assemblage is diverse and shows a highly developed outer coast maritime adaptation.
Although people camped in the rockshelter during certain seasons, animals also used the site. At Cape Addington and elsewhere in southeast Alaskan caves and rockshelters, we have seen surface evidence of deer that died naturally, and of shell and bone brought into sites by land otters, minks, and eagles. Black bears and wolves hibernate or den in caves and rockshelters, and various animals may transport the remains of their prey into these sites. These bones and shells can then be mixed with cultural material left behind by people. With the help of Alaska Fish and Game biologist Doug Larson, Moss identified and mapped surface remains and features that are likely the result of animal activity. The next step is to identify signatures of non-human activity on the bones themselves. Our on-going analyses are aimed at distinguishing between the natural and cultural origin of the faunal remains at Cape Addington.
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