Occupation of Western Santa Cruz Island’s Interior Between 4,700 and 3,200 B.C.

ABSTRACT

Investigations of two inland sites on western Santa Cruz Island containing red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) midden strata provides insight into aspects of settlement systems between 4,700 and 3,200 B.P. Oxygen isotope analysis of mussel (Mytilus californianus) shells revealed that both sites were occupied during the summer and fall. Artifacts and floral and faunal remains indicate that CA-SCRI-796 probably was a residential base whereas CA-SCRI-758 was a camp. The red abalone midden at CA-SCRI-758 is distinctive, given the site’s high-elevation location, its location more than 6 km from a source of red abalone, and its thoroughly burned shell within an ashy matrix. The site may have been occupied by separate residential groups for social and ritual purposes. The analysis reveals that settlement systems of the time period during which red abalone middens were created were complex and that larger samples from sites are necessary for a greater understanding of this complexity.

RESUMEN

La investigación de dos sitios interiores en el oeste de la isla de Santa Cruz con depósitos de conchas de abalón rojo (Haliotis rufescens), proporciona información sobre aspectos del sistemas de asentamiento entre 4,700 y 3,200 A.P. Análisis de isótopos de oxígeno sobre conchas de mejillón (Mytilus californianus) revelaron que ambos sitios fueron ocupados durante el verano y el otoño. Artefactos, restos vegetales y de fauna indican que CA-SCRI-796 fue probablemente utilizado como base residencial, mientras que CA-SCRI-758 fue utilizado como campamento. El conchal de abalón rojo en CA-SCRI-758 es distintivo, dada su ubicación a gran altura, a más de 6 km de la costa y la presencia de conchas completamente quemadas dentro de una matriz cenicienta. Este sitio parece haber sido ocupado por diferentes grupos residenciales con fines sociales y rituales. El presente estudio revela que durante el período en el que se generaron los conchales de abalón rojo, los sistemas de asentamiento en la isla fueron complejos. Muestras de mayor tamaño de los sitios arqueológicos del período son necesarias para comprender de mejor forma esta complejidad.

KEYWORDS:

• Santa Cruz Island prehistory
• red abalone midden
• settlement systems
• floral remains
• faunal remains

PALABRAS CLAVES:

• Prehistoria de la Isla de Santa Cruz
• conchales de abalón rojo
• sistemas de asentamientos
• restos de vegetales
• restos de fauna

Acknowledgments

We appreciate the efforts of Craig Smith, who aided Jaqua and Glassow in carrying out the fieldwork at the two sites within a tight time schedule. We also thank the staff at the field station of the University of California’s Santa Cruz Island Reserve for their efforts in facilitating the fieldwork. We are grateful for the help of UCSB students enrolled in laboratory practicum courses in sorting the collections. Finally, we express our appreciation to Carola Flores for providing the Spanish version of the abstract and to three peer reviewers for their thoughtful suggestions for improving the earlier draft of this article.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data Availability

Collections from the excavations, field and laboratory records, and collections catalog are housed at the Repository for Archaeological and Ethnographic Collections, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara. They are available for further study by contacting the Repository.

Additional information

Funding

A grant from the UCSB Academic Senate awarded to Glassow covered the costs of fieldwork and some aspects of collections analysis.