giving voice to juana maría's people: the organization of shell and exotic stone artifact production

232 Pages·2006·2.47 MB·English

GIVING VOICE TO JUANA MARÍA’S PEOPLE: THE ORGANIZATION OF SHELL
AND EXOTIC STONE ARTIFACT PRODUCTION AND TRADE AT A LATE
HOLOCENE VILLAGE ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

by

Amanda C. Cannon

A Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of Humboldt State University

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
In Social Science
Environment and Community Interdisciplinary Program
August, 2006
GIVING VOICE TO JUANA MARÍA’S PEOPLE: THE ORGANIZATION OF SHELL
AND EXOTIC STONE ARTIFACT PRODUCTION AND TRADE AT A LATE
HOLOCENE VILLAGE ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

by

Amanda C. Cannon

Approved by the Master’s Thesis Committee:

René L. Vellanoweth, Major Professor Date

Sing C. Chew, Committee Member Date

Judith K. Little, Committee Member Date

Selma K. Sonntag, Graduate Coordinator Date

Chris A. Hopper, Interim Dean for Research and Graduate Studies Date
ABSTRACT

GIVING VOICE TO JUANA MARÍA’S PEOPLE:
THE ORGANIZATION OF SHELL AND EXOTIC
STONE ARTIFACT PRODUCTION AND TRADE
AT A LATE HOLOCENE VILLAGE ON
SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

By Amanda C. Cannon
Master of Arts in Social Science
Environment and Community Interdisciplinary Program

At the time of European contact, the southern California mainland coast and
Channel Islands were occupied by a variety of Native groups that were socially complex
and steeped in rich cultural traditions. These groups were intricately connected with one
another through social, political, and economic ties as well as with other groups through
extensive trade networks extending throughout California and the Great Basin. Because
of excellent preservation of archaeological sites on the Channel Islands, archaeologists
have long turned to this area to investigate myriad topics including human interactions
with the environment, maritime adaptations, development of cultural complexity, social
organization, and craft production. San Nicolas Island, the most geographically isolated
of the Channel Islands, offers a unique opportunity to examine many of these issues.
In this thesis, I examine the Native people of San Nicolas Island within both local
and regional environmental and cultural contexts. These contexts form the basis for
understanding the archaeological record at CA-SN-25, a village occupied intensely
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between approximately A.D. 1300 and A.D. 1800. With its excellent preservation and
diverse artifact assemblage, CA-SNI-25 offers the opportunity to examine human daily
practices and underlying social organization and world-views. I examine a portion of the
artifact assemblage – shell and exotic stone artifacts – to understand the nature of artifact
production and social organization at the site and how its occupants were connected to
the broader region. To do this, I identify different artifact types, styles, and spatial and
temporal distribution patterns at the site.
The results indicate a variety of domestic and ceremonial activities occurred at the
site. Temporal distributions of artifacts suggest that there was much cultural continuity
throughout the most intensive period of site occupation; however, contact with Europeans
did influence traditional practices as evidenced by the use of European materials in the
production of traditional items. Spatial patterns of artifact distribution suggest that while
a variety of activities occurred across the site, some areas were used more intensively
than others. Comparisons of artifact assemblages from other sites on the island confirm
that CA-SNI-25 was a village. The same people who occupied CA-SNI-25 may have
utilized other sites on the island and/or been connected to the occupants of these sites,
perhaps through family ties. Comparisons of CA-SNI-25 to sites on the other Channel
Islands suggest the people of San Nicolas were more culturally aligned with Gabrielino
groups on the southern islands. However, an examination of the material culture from the
Channel Islands and adjacent mainland and its relative abundance suggests the people of
San Nicolas were intricately connected to groups throughout this region. In all, this
thesis illustrates the importance of archaeological investigations as a tool to enhance our
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understanding of daily practices, social and spiritual organization, and regional
interactions of the Native people of San Nicolas Island.
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© 2006 Amanda C. Cannon. All rights reserved.
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To Juana María and her People
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research would not have been possible without the help and support of many
individuals. In particular, I thank René L. Vellanoweth, my committee chair, mentor, and
friend. His patience, guidance, instruction, and edits have helped me to become a better
researcher and writer. René’s boundless enthusiasm and extensive knowledge of the
archaeological record are truly enlightening and inspirational. I also thank my committee
members Sing C. Chew and Judith K. Little for their support and comments that gave me
a broader perspective and improved this thesis.
This research was funded by a cooperative research agreement between Humboldt
State University and the U.S. Navy. I thank Steve Schwartz of the Naval Air Station
Facility, Point Mugu, and Lisa Thomas-Barnett for giving me the opportunity to do this
research. Their support on San Nicolas Island was invaluable. I also thank the
undergraduate students at Humboldt State University who participated in the San Nicolas
Island archaeological field schools and spent countless hours in the lab assisting me with
artifact processing and analyses. In particular, I thank Barney Bartelle for his wonderful
personality, extensive music collection, and considerable aid in the lab. Finally, I thank
my parents for their support and encouragement throughout the years.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................iii
PUBLICATION RIGHTS.................................................................................................vi
DEDICATION..................................................................................................................vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................ix
LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................xvii
LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................xx
LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................xx
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................1
Human Occupation of Coastal Environments.........................................................1
San Nicolas Island: A Study of Island Culture.......................................................3
Investigations at CA-SNI-25.......................................................................4
Thesis Overview.....................................................................................................7
THEORETICAL CONTEXT...........................................................................................11
Introduction...........................................................................................................11
Culture History Approach to Archaeology...........................................................12
Descriptions of Cultural Change and Continuity......................................12
Culture History of CA-SNI-25..................................................................13
Practice Theory.....................................................................................................13
Daily Practices and Social Structure.........................................................13
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Page

Daily Practices and the Archaeological Record........................................15
Practice Theory and Implications for Research at CA-SNI-25................16
The World-Systems Perspective...........................................................................16
The Modern World-System......................................................................16
The World-System Prior to the 16th Century............................................18
World-Systems Theory and Archaeology.................................................20
A World-Systems Approach at CA-SNI-25.............................................20
ENVIRONMENT OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BIGHT.................................22
Introduction...........................................................................................................22
Geographic Location.................................................................................22
Coastal Geographic Provinces..............................................................................24
North Coast...............................................................................................24
Central Coast.............................................................................................24
Southern Coast..........................................................................................25
Paleoenvironment.................................................................................................26
Vegetation and Climate.............................................................................26
Sea Levels and Shorelines........................................................................28
Current Coastal Mainland Environment...............................................................29
Climate......................................................................................................29
Coastal Plant and Animal Communities...................................................29
Ocean Currents of the Southern California Bight.................................................31
Northern Channel Islands.....................................................................................33
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