A Cache Within a Cache: Description of an Abalone “Treasure-Box” from the CA-SNI-14 Redwood Box Cache, San Nicolas Island, Alta California

Abstract

Excavation of a cache feature eroding from a sea cliff on the northwest coast of San Nicolas Island produced two redwood boxes containing more than 200 artifacts of Nicoleño, Native Alaskan, and Euroamerican origin, along with four asphaltum-lined basketry water bottles and other artifacts. An abalone shell “treasure-box” was found inside the western box of the feature that included a large black abalone shell dish containing 20 items and a second black abalone shell that served as a lid. This “cache within a cache” contained two finely crafted eccentric abalone fishhooks, three shell pendants, an abalone nacre spangle, two bird bone pendants, two stone beads, a piece of chlorite displaying striations, two unmodified shells, and seven bifaces made from exotic chert and bottle glass. This article describes the treasure-box and its contents, addressing stylistic and functional attributes and exploring how these items might relate to one another. Similar receptacles from the Channel Islands and southern California coast are also discussed. The contents of the abalone treasure-box represent utilitarian and ornamental items from the rich Nicoleño culture, stowed during the early to mid-nineteenth century, possibly by the famous Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island.

Resumen

La excavación de un conjunto de materiales arqueológicos que erosionaba de un acantilado en la costa noroeste de la Isla San Nicolás produjo dos cajas de madera de secoya que contenían más de 200 artefactos de origen nicoleño, de grupos nativos de Alaska, y euroamericano, junto con cuatro botellas de agua de la cestería forradas con asphaltum, y otros artefactos. Se encontró una “caja de tesoro” de concha de abulón dentro de la caja occidental, que incluía un gran plato de concha de abulón negro que contenía 20 artículos y una segunda concha de abulón negro que sirvió como una tapa. Este “conjunto dentro de otro conjunto” contenía numerosos artefactos de concha, hueso, piedra y vidrio. Aquí se describen la caja de tesoro y su contenido, abordando los atributos estilísticos y funcionales y explorando cómo estos elementos podrían relacionarse entre sí. También se discuten los receptáculos similares de las islas del Canal y de la costa del sur de California. El contenido de la caja de tesoro de conchas de abulón representa artículos utilitarios y ornamentales de la rica cultura nicoleña, los cuales fueron colocados durante el periodo del principio a la mitad del siglo diecinueve, y posiblemente por la famosa “mujer solitaria” de la Isla San Nicolás.

Acknowledgments

We thank Jennie A. Stott, who helped catalog this collection. We also thank Thomas Wake (UCLA Zooarchaeology Laboratory) for helping us identify the bone artifacts, and students from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) and the University of Oregon (UO) for assisting in the excavation and analysis of the redwood box cache feature. We thank the U.S. Navy for allowing us access to the rich archaeological heritage of San Nicolas Island and our home institutions for support of our work. The redwood box feature was discovered during an expedition funded by the Edna English Trust for Archaeological Research and the University of Oregon's (UO) Museum of Natural and Cultural History. It was analyzed with funds from CSULA, the U.S. Navy, and the UO. We are grateful to Terry Jones and anonymous reviewers for comments and suggestions that improved this article. Finally, we thank Gregorio Pacheco for the Spanish translation of this abstract.