Oldest dwelling found in Alaska

Archaeologists have discovered what could be the oldest known prehistoric dwelling in North America, located in the interior of Alaska near Fairbanks. The site, named Shé gʾ Xdaltthʾiʾ in the Athabascan language, contains remnants of a structure dating back 13,800 years.

Structure details revealed

The discovery, described in a study published in October 2026 in Science Advances, includes a hearth, a small pit, and a shadow left by a wooden post, suggesting a lightweight structure such as a lean-to or tent where a family may have sought shelter. The site is believed to be in the area of the Beringia land bridge, which connected Siberia to Alaska during the last ice age.

Evidence of communal cooking

The site also included an underground oven filled with charcoal and animal bones, used for slow-cooking meat for a large group. The discovery was notable as such traces of habitation had previously been rare for sites of this age.

Ancient tools found at site

The site yielded thousands of objects, including eight fragments of bone needles with eyelets, the oldest known such needles in the hemisphere. These tools suggest advanced craftsmanship and a sophisticated way of life for the people who lived there.