California Maritime Archaeology A San Clemente Island Perspective

by Raab, L. Mark; Cassidy, Jim; Yatsko, Andrew; Howard, William J.; Fagan, Brian

• ISBN13: 9780759113169
• ISBN10: 0759113165
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-08-16
• Publisher: AltaMira Press

Summary

San Clemente Island is a microcosm of California coastal archaeology from prehistoric through historic times-not only because of the extensiveness of its archaeological remains but because those remains have been so well preserved. In California Maritime Archaeology, the authors use the island as a platform to explore evidence of early seafaring, colonization, paleoenvironmental change, and cultural interaction along the California coast. They make a strong case that San Clemente Island should be seen as a kind of "California archaeological Galapagos," offering an extraordinary variety of ancient life as well as surprising information about prehistoric hunter-gatherers of the northern Pacific. Book jacket.

Author Biography

L. Mark Raab is emeritus professor of anthropology, California State University, Northridge. Jim Cassidy is an environmental specialist with the United States Marine Corps. Andrew Yatsko is staff archaeologist with the U.S. Navy. William J. Howard is research associate at the Center for Public Archaeology at California State University, Northridge.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables	p. ix
Foreword	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Introduction
California Galapagos	p. 3
San Clemente Island	p. 23
San Clemente Island Archaeology and the Island Gabrielino	p. 41
Early Holocene
The Ancient Mariners of Eel Point	p. 67
The Dolphin Hunters	p. 93
Middle Holocene
This Old House	p. 109
Beads and the Great Basin Connection	p. 123
Late Holocene
Tragedy of the Commons	p. 145
Medieval Climatic Crisis	p. 163
In the Shadow of Chiefdoms	p. 179
Vectors of Death and Native Messiahs	p. 197
Toward a New Paradigm of Maritime Prehistory
Perspectives from an Island Laboratory	p. 215
References	p. 241
Index	p. 261
About the Authors	p. 269
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