Catching Salmon

In modern times, salmon from the Pacific Ocean is a delicacy — an expensive dish that’s usually served as a treat — even in areas where the fish is plentiful. In ancient times, though, that wasn’t the case. During spawning runs, tribes and villages caught salmon by the thousands. Many of the fish were preserved, providing nutritious meals during the long, cold winter.

In fact, researchers recently found evidence that settlers in central Alaska were eating one type of salmon about 11,500 years ago. It’s the earliest known instance of people eating salmon in all of North America.

The scientists found the bones of more than 300 salmon in the remains of a dwelling on the Upward Sun River, a tributary of the mighty Yukon River. DNA testing revealed that the bones were the remains of chum salmon. Chum salmon hatch in rivers, then swim out to sea, where they spend most of their lives. After about four years, they fight back up the river to their birthplace to spawn.

During the spawning run, against the current, the fish can be easy prey for anyone with a net. So the people of the Upward Sun River site probably waited for the fish every summer and fall, then stocked up for winter.

The discovery reveals details not just about the people who caught the salmon, but about the fish themselves. They tell researchers that as the last Ice Age waned, chum salmon could migrate up and down the Yukon and its tributaries — leaving and returning to spawning grounds in parts of Alaska that were free of glaciers.