Commodity flow and national market access: A case study from interior Alaska

This study re-examines the Commodity Flow Model presented by Riordan and Ad ams (1984) in light of additional work done by other archaeologists working in Illinois, Oregon, and South Carolina. The Commodity Flow Model provides a way for historical archaeologists toe valuate the interactions between m anufacture and consumer, by categorizing the consumer's participation in th e national market economy. The model is then tested using early 20th centur y gold rush sites in interior Alaska. Using both weighted and unweighted sa mples, this study reaffirms the validity of the model and suggests ways of improving it.