Californian archaeology

Small Mammal Procurement In Coastal Contexts: A California Perspective

by Sarah McClure

Holocene Monterey Bay Fur Seals: distribution, dates, and ecological implications

by Diane Gifford-Gonzalez

2011 Human Impacts on Seals, Sea Lions, and Sea Otters: Integrating Archaeology and Ecol ogy in the Northeast Pacifi c, edited by
Todd J. Braje and Torben C. Rick. University of California Press, Berkeley & Los Angele. Pp. 221-242.

The Organization of Domestic Space in Late Prehistoric Owens Valley Households

by Jelmer Eerkens

Proceedings of the Society for California Archaeology 24, 8 pages.

Previously, one of us (Eerkens 2004) proposed that between 1500 and 700 B.P. inhabitants in Owens Valley shifted from... more Previously, one of us (Eerkens 2004) proposed that between 1500 and 700 B.P. inhabitants in Owens Valley shifted from a village-based, communal living pattern to a smaller-scale nuclear family-based one. This process was linked to a rise in population density and a concomitant increase in privatized resources. We test this proposal by examining the artifact and organic residue evidence from two prehistoric houses in Owens Valley excavated in 2006 and 2007. We examine data from stable isotope ratios (C and N), total C and N, and obsidian and bone densities.

Reduction strategies and geochemical characterization of lithic assemblages: a comparison of three case studies from Western North America

by Jelmer Eerkens

American Antiquity 72(3): 585-597.

Based on a simple model of lithic procurement, reduction, and use, we generate predictions for patterns in source... more Based on a simple model of lithic procurement, reduction, and use, we generate predictions for patterns in source diversity and average distance-to-source measurements for flaked stone assemblages left behind by small-scale and residentially mobile populations. We apply this model to geochemical data from obsidian artifacts from three regions in western North America. As predicted, results show markedly different patterns in the geochemical composition of small flakes, large flakes, and formal tools. While small flakes and tools tend to have greater source diversity and are on average farther from their original source, the large flake assemblage is composed of fewer and closer sources. These results suggest that a failure to include very late stage reduction (e.g., pressure flakes) and microdebitage in characterization studies may bias interpretations about the extent of residential mobility and/or trade patterns because more distant sources will be underrepresented.

Basado en un modelo sencillo de obtención, reducción y uso líticos, generamos predicciones para patrones de diversidad de fuentes y medidas de medio-distancia desde las fuentes de colecciones de piedras talladas dejadas por poblaciones residencialmente ambulantes. Aplicamos este modelo a los datos geoquímicos reunidos de artefactos de obsidiana recubiertos en tres regiones norteamericanos-occidentales. Como previsto, los resultados muestran patrones notablemente distintos en la composición geoquímica de las lascas pequeñas y grandes y de herramientas formales. Mientras las herramientas y lascas pequeñas suelen tener una mayor diversidad de fuentes y como promedio se encuentran más lejos de sus fuentes originales, las lascas grandes tienden a componerse de menos fuentes que también están más cercanas. Los resultados sugieren que el dejar de incluir reducciones (debastes) y microdebitage (desechos de tamaño micro) en las etapas finales (e.g. lascas de presión) de los estudios de fuentes, puede sesgar las interpretaciones sobre la extensión/los límites de movilidad residencial y/o patrones de comercio porque las fuentes más lejanas quedan sub-representadas.

Early pottery from Sunga'va and implications for the development of ceramic technology in Owens Valley

by Jelmer Eerkens

Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology 21(2):275-285.

Pottery from Sunga'va, a single component Rose Springs or Haiwee aged site (ca. 1150 B.P.) in southern Owens Valley,... more Pottery from Sunga'va, a single component Rose Springs or Haiwee aged site (ca. 1150 B.P.) in southern Owens Valley, was analyzed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis within a larger study of Western Great Basin ceramics. The discovery of pottery in a Rose Springs-aged site positions the advent of ceramic technology in Owens Valley some 500 years earlier than previously thought. Analyses suggest that the pottery was made from local sedimentary clays collected in or near Owens Lake. The small number of sherds in this lakeside village suggests that pottery-making in the region began on an experimental basis and may have been associated with the processing or storage of lacustrine food resources. Early experimentation may have set the stage for the later intensification of this craft in the region.

Are obsidian subsources meaningful units of analysis?: temporal and spatial patterning of subsources in the Coso Volcanic Field, southeastern California

by Jelmer Eerkens

Journal of Archaeological Science 31(1):21-29.

Archaeologists frequently assign artifacts to chemically discrete subsignatures of major obsidian sources. While the... more Archaeologists frequently assign artifacts to chemically discrete subsignatures of major obsidian sources. While the technical ability to do so has been demonstrated, it remains to be shown that such information is behaviorally meaningful. Indeed, some analysts choose not to make such determinations under the presumption that the data are not anthropologically relevant. Using a case study from the Coso Volcanic Field, which has at least four distinct subsignatures, we examine this problem and conclude that subsource identification can be useful and quite interesting. This is particularly so when large datasets encompassing spatially expansive areas can be assembled and statistically analyzed.

Linguistic boundaries as barriers to exchange

by Jelmer Eerkens

Journal of Archaeological Science 35(4): 1104-1113.

Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) data are used to explore the structure of... more Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) data are used to explore the structure of obsidian acquisition for groups in the King Range National Conservation Area of northern California. The data indicate that, contrary to a distance-decay model, obsidian from more distant sources in the Medicine Lake Highlands, dominates the obsidian found at sites in the area. Furthermore, metric data indicate a positive relationship between size and distance to source with more distant sources represented by larger flakes. It is suggested that this pattern is the result of culturally mediated exchange relations under which Athabaskan speakers concentrated trade relations with one another to the exclusion of trade with linguistic groups to the south, with longer histories in the area, such as the Pomo and Yuki. Additionally, the use of redwood dugouts on rivers in northern California and the importance of northeastern Californian obsidian in ritual practices of California Athabaskan groups may have further encouraged the use of more distant, northeastern Californian, sources.

Privatization, small-seed intensification, and the origins of pottery in the western Great Basin

by Jelmer Eerkens

American Antiquity 69(4):653-670.

Brownware pottery technologies became widely used in the Great Basin around 600 years ago. A significant increase in... more Brownware pottery technologies became widely used in the Great Basin around 600 years ago. A significant increase in the use of small seeds within the subsistence economy took place about the same time. I suggest these two events are linked, that people consciously chose to focus on seeds because they could be privatized, that is, they could be individually owned and were not subject to unrestricted sharing. Pots were an integral component to this process because they could be individually made and owned and could be used within domiciles, placing food preparation and storage out of view from others in the community. Privatization of a staple food resource may have been a response to increased population size, and hence the number of freeloaders, new village kinship organizations, and/or a desire to create surplus on the part of aggrandizers.

Typologies and classification of Great Basin pottery: A new look at Death Valley brownwares

by Jelmer Eerkens

In Ceramic Production and Circulation in the Greater Southwest: Source Determination by INAA and Complementary Mineralogical Investigations, ed. by D.M. Glowacki and H. Neff, pp. 140-151. Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, Monograph 44, Los Angeles.

Despite the prevalence of brownware ceramics in archaeological sites in the Western Great Basin these artifacts have... more Despite the prevalence of brownware ceramics in archaeological sites in the Western Great Basin these artifacts have contributed little to our understanding of prehistoric lifeways. Brownware studies are rarely more than descriptive accounts of the number, and occasionally variety, of sherds recovered. We apply Neutron Activation Analysis to better understand variation in the sources of clays used to produce pots. Chemical variation is then compared to the morphology of pots to determine if, perhaps, certain groups of potters exploited certain sources of clay. Results show tremendous geochemical variation, but distinctive groupings of pots.

Towards a chronology of brownware pottery in the western Great Basin: a case study from Owens Valley

by Jelmer Eerkens

North American Archaeologist 24(1):1-27.

Great Basin brownware is often perceived as highly variable and lacking distinct subdivisions. Combined with the lack... more Great Basin brownware is often perceived as highly variable and lacking distinct subdivisions. Combined with the lack of painted decoration, the result has been to lump all brownware into a single all-encompassing temporal category. This paper examines this perception in the Owens Valley of California, where pot sherds are often found associated with late prehistoric house floors. An analysis of these sherd assemblages reveals important changes in how pots were made through time, and suggest changes in prehistoric human behavior.

The prehistoric development of intensive green-cone piñon processing in eastern California

by Jelmer Eerkens

Journal of Field Archaeology 29:17-27.

The upland piñon zone has long been an important source of data for archaeological theory-building in the Western... more The upland piñon zone has long been an important source of data for archaeological theory-building in the Western Great Basin. Recent excavations in the piñon zone on Sherwin Summit, eastern California, traditional homeland of the Owens Valley Paiute, have shed much light on role of rock rings and charcoal stains in green-cone piñon processing and storage. Radiocarbon dating points to a late prehistoric intensification of green-cone processing in the area (ca. 500 – 100 b.p.), which we suggest is the result of scheduling conflicts during late summer and fall. Green-cone procurement allowed local residents to harvest piñon earlier in the season, freeing time to harvest irrigated and wetland seeds, to participate in annual festivals, and to hunt.

The Origins of Pottery Among Late Prehistoric Hunter-gatherers in California and the Western Great Basin

by Jelmer Eerkens

Unpublished PhD Dissertation. Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara

As shown by cross-cultural studies, pottery-making is rare among mobile hunters and gatherers. Many factors, including... more As shown by cross-cultural studies, pottery-making is rare among mobile hunters and gatherers. Many factors, including the heaviness of pots, their susceptibility to breakage, small population size, and time and scheduling conflicts work against such groups to engage in pottery-making. In this regard, the late prehistoric hunter-gatherers of California and the Western Great Basin, who began making earthenware vessels some 500-700 years ago, are unusual. This dissertation seeks to understand why these Numic people began making and using pottery, and how the technology was embedded within the constraints of high residential mobility and a simple social organization.
To address this question it was necessary to understand how pottery was used and produced. Five main analyses were undertaken. Chapter 3 surveys the ethnographic literature on California Great Basin pottery-making. Chapter 4 presents a technological study of whole pots and potsherd attributes. Chapter 5 analyzes the distribution of pottery in the study area across different ecological zones and valley systems. Chapter 6 examines pottery use more directly through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis of organic residues in a sample of potsherds. Chapter 7 discusses an Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis of a large sample of potsherds to better understand the production and movement of ceramics.
Results are manifold and show, first, that California and Great Basin pots are not crude and unsophisticated tools, as they are often described, but were modified to suit the constraints of particular environments and social systems. Second, pots are primarily associated with valley bottom locations and especially lakeside environments. Third, pottery was primarily used to process plant resources, particularly seeds and nuts. Fourth, pottery-making was organized on a small family-level or individual scale and vessels were rarely moved between valley systems.
In the final analysis, I suggest pottery was adopted by women to resolve time and labor demands created by a diet increasingly focused on small seed resources and the need to feed and care for larger families. At the same time, I suggest that pots were an instrumental tool in the shift to a more privatized economy. Pots were an efficient tool for processing large volumes of small seeds. Seed resources could be owned and consumed by individual families and were not subject to public sharing rules that governed other resources and cooking technologies.

Early Pottery from Sunga Va and Implications for the Development of Ceramic Technology in Owens Valley, California

by Jelmer Eerkens

Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology 21(2):275-285.

Pottery from Sunga'va, a single component Rose Springs or Haiwee aged site (ca. 1150 B.P.) in southern Owens Valley,... more Pottery from Sunga'va, a single component Rose Springs or Haiwee aged site (ca. 1150 B.P.) in southern Owens Valley, was analyzed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis within a larger study of Western Great Basin ceramics. The discovery of pottery in a Rose Springs-aged site positions the advent of ceramic technology in Owens Valley some 500 years earlier than previously thought. Analyses suggest that the pottery was made from local sedimentary clays collected in or near Owens Lake. The small number of sherds in this lakeside village suggests that pottery-making in the region began on an experimental basis and may have been associated with the processing or storage of lacustrine food resources. Early experimentation may have set the stage for the later intensification of this craft in the region.

Phase II A rchaeological Investigations for the Sherwin Summit Rehabilitation Project, US Highway 395, Inyo County, California

by Jelmer Eerkens

Stable Isotope Provenance Analysis of Olivella Shell Beads From the Los Angeles Basin and San Nicolas Island

by Jelmer Eerkens

Journal of Islands and Coastal Archaeology 5:105-119

Production of marine shell beads in island and coastal settings was an important activity in prehistory, with... more Production of marine shell beads in island and coastal settings was an important activity in prehistory, with important political and economic ties. Currently, there are few methods to track beads to their locus of production. Examining the spatial distribution of bead types provides one method of doing so. Chemical and stable isotopic methods provide an additional and independent means of testing hypotheses generated by spatial distributions. We use stable oxygen, carbon, and strontium isotope data to reconstruct provenance zones for 18 Olivella biplicata beads from the Los Angeles Basin and San Nicolas Island. We compare the results to isotopic data from modern and radiocarbon-dated whole shells collected along the Pacific Coast. Results indicate that all 18 beads were manufactured from shells growing in open coast locations south of Point Conception. Differences in isotopic composition between bead types suggest that not all were produced in the same location. Some, such as callus beads (K1), have highly variable composition, suggesting production in a range of locations. Others, such as thin lipped (E1), seem to have been produced in more restricted regions

Transition from Geophyte to Seed Processing: Evidence for Intensification from Thermal Features near China Lake, Northern Mojave Desert

by Jelmer Eerkens

Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 38 (2-3):19-36.

Thermal features containing charcoal, ash, fire-cracked rock, and/or charred seeds are a common component of Late... more Thermal features containing charcoal, ash, fire-cracked rock, and/or charred seeds are a common component of Late Prehistoric hunter-gatherer sites in the northern Mojave Desert. Although these features have done much to inform site-specific interpretations, particularly regarding diet, an intersite comparison has not been undertaken. Our analyses of shape, size, context, and contents suggest these features can be divided into at least four different categories. Temporal patterns in thermal features demonstrate a shift in subsistence pursuits from root, tuber, and bulb (i.e., geophyte) harvesting between 1000-300 BP, to intensive seed processing after 300 BP in the area. While intensification on seeds late in prehistory appears to be a pan-Great Basin phenomenon, a focus on geophytes earlier in time appears to be more local in the Mojave Desert. Climate, population increase, technological innovations, and social factors are likely to account for the dietary shift.

Linguistic Boundaries As Barriers to Exchange

by Adrian Whitaker

In Journal of Archaeological Science. Co-Authored with Jelmer Eerkens, Amy Spurling, Eddie Smith, and Michelle Gras

Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) data are used to explore the structure of... more Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) data are used to explore the structure of obsidian acquisition for groups in the King Range National Conservation Area of northern California. The data indicate that, contrary to a distance-decay model, obsidian from more distant sources in the Medicine Lake Highlands, dominates the obsidian found at sites in the area. Furthermore, metric data indicate a positive relationship between size and distance to source with more distant sources represented by larger flakes. It is suggested that this pattern is the result of culturally mediated exchange relations under which Athabaskan speakers concentrated trade relations with one another to the exclusion of trade with linguistic groups to the south, with longer histories in the area, such as the Pomo and Yuki. Additionally, the use of redwood dugouts on rivers in northern California and the importance of northeastern Californian obsidian in ritual practices of California Athabaskan groups may have further encouraged the use of more distant, northeastern Californian, sources.

The Role of Human Predation In the Structuring of Prehistoric Prey Populations In Northwestern California

by Adrian Whitaker

Ph.D. Dissertation from UC Davis

Kane, Megan S. with contributions by Barbara L. Voss. (2011). Reconstructing Historical and Archaeological Context of an Orphaned Collection: Report on Archival Research and Feature Summaries for the Market Street Chinatown Archaeology Project. Technical Report No. 1 of the Market Street Chinatown Archaeology Project. . Prepared by Historical Archaeology Lab, Stanford Archaeology Center, Stanford CA. Submitted to History San José, San Jose, CA and Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, San Jose, CA.

by Barbara Voss

“Reconstructing Historical and Archaeological Context of an Orphaned Collection” is the first Technical Report... more “Reconstructing Historical and Archaeological Context of an Orphaned Collection” is the first Technical Report prepared by the Market Street Chinatown Archaeology Project (MSCAP). This document’s release marks the completion of a concentrated research initiative – dubbed the “Context Project” – to reconstruct the historical and archaeological context of the Market Street Chinatown collection. Megan Kane developed and implemented the Context Project during the 2010-2011 academic year under my guidance as Principal Investigator of MSCAP.
The need for a systematic assessment of historical and archaeological context has been apparent since the beginning years of MSCAP. In the decades since the archaeological materials were excavated in 1985-1988, a substantial gap has developed between the original context of discovery and the artifacts’ current situation. The hurried schedule of the original archaeological excavations, which occurred in the midst of construction activity, and the many transfers of the collection that followed, exacerbated the problem. By the time the collection arrived at Stanford in 2002, connecting individual artifacts with their historical and archaeological context seemed, at times, insurmountable.
Simply reconstructing the archival record of the Market Street Chinatown collection involved the cooperation and goodwill of literally dozens of California archaeologists, especially the proprietors of Archaeological Resource Services (ARS), which conducted the original excavations. Ms. Kane’s thorough analysis of this complex archival record not only involved organizing and indexing the archival materials themselves, but synthesizing their contents to develop a historic and archaeological context for the collection. Most notably, Ms. Kane produced a “Feature Summary” for each of the 63 archaeological features represented in the collection, which are printed as Appendix D of this Technical Report. The Feature Summaries now allow us to quickly and accurately reference the archaeological and historical context of every single item in the archaeological collection. They provide an invaluable starting point for researchers and collection managers in their engagement with the collection.
The completion of this initiative is an important benchmark in research on the Market Street Chinatown archaeological collection. It also comes during preparation for celebration of another important benchmark in the ongoing efforts to commemorate and interpret the legacy of San Jose’s early Chinese residents: the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Ng Shing Gung and the Chinese American Historical Museum on October 16th, 2011.
ii | P a g e Report on Archival Research and Feature Summaries for the MSCAP
The history of the Chinese American Historical Museum is deeply intertwined with the Market Street Chinatown collection. Concern about the 1985-1988 destruction of the archaeological remains of the Market Street Chinatown inspired descendents of San Jose’s historic Chinatowns to form the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project (CHCP), a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and preserve Chinese American and Chinese history and culture. The first major project undertaken by CHCP was to reconstruct the Ng Shing Gung at History Park. In 1991, CHCP donated the Ng Shing Gung to the City of San Jose. The lower floor of the building serves as the Chinese American Historical Museum, telling the stories of the early Chinese pioneers in Santa Clara Valley. The second floor showcases the original 1888 gold-gilded altar once housed in the original Ng Shing Gung.
As we prepare to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ng Shing Gung and the Chinese American Historical Museum, we are honored to be offering this Technical Report as a contribution to the ongoing project of commemorating the lives and contributions of Santa Clara County’s first Overseas Chinese community. We gratefully acknowledge our ongoing partnership with Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, History San José, and Past Forward, Inc. in the Market Street Chinatown Archaeology Project, and look forward to our continued work together on future research and public interpretation initiatives.

Native American Consultation and Ethnographic Study, Ventura County, California

by Jana Fortier

Ethnobotanical study with local Tongva (Gabrielino), San Fernandeño, and Chumash concerning culturally significant plants along state highways in Ventura County. Sponsored by Caltrans (California Dept. of Transportation)

This report is written in order to fulfill the overall requirements of the TEA-21  (Transportation Equity Act for... more This report is written in order to fulfill the overall requirements of the TEA-21  (Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century) mandates and specifically to provide an ethnographic consulting report for the District 7 TEA Archaeological Roadside Inventory Project. This report is one of two ethnographic reports written for the District 7 region comprising Los Angeles County and Ventura County. This report specifically concerns ethnographic findings in the Ventura county portion of the D-07 region.