DOCSLIB.ORG

Class III Archaeological Survey of the Desert Quartzite Solar Project, Palo Verde Mesa, Riverside County, California

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Class III Archaeological Survey of the Desert Quartzite Solar Project, Palo Verde Mesa, Riverside County, California DESERT QUARTZITE SOLAR PROJECT DRAFT PLAN AMENDMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT APPENDIX P CLASS III ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REPORT Class III Archaeological Survey of the Desert Quartzite Solar Project, Palo Verde Mesa, Riverside County, California Edited by Michael K. Lerch, Patrick B. Stanton, and Karen K. Swope Contributions by Dean M. Duryea, Jr., Scott H. Kremkau, Michael K. Lerch, Tim M. Mills, Patrick B. Stanton, Mark Q. Sutton, Karen K. Swope, Carly Whelan, and Jason D. Windingstad Screen check final report prepared for George E. Kline, Archaeologist Bureau of Land Management Palm Springs–South Coast Field Office 1201 Bird Center Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 Technical Report 15-36 Statistical Research, Inc. Redlands, California Class III Archaeological Survey of the Desert Quartzite Solar Project, Palo Verde Mesa, Riverside County, California Edited by Michael K. Lerch, Patrick B. Stanton, and Karen K. Swope Contributions by Dean M. Duryea, Jr., Scott H. Kremkau, Michael K. Lerch, Tim M. Mills, Patrick B. Stanton, Mark Q. Sutton, Karen K. Swope, Carly Whelan, and Jason D. Windingstad Screen check final report prepared for George E. Kline, Archaeologist Bureau of Land Management Palm Springs–South Coast Field Office 1201 Bird Center Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 Technical Report 15-36 Statistical Research, Inc. Redlands, California January 2016 CONTENTS List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................. ix List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... xi Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................... xiii Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................... xv 1. Introduction, by Michael K. Lerch and Scott H. Kremkau ............................................................... 1.1 Project Location .................................................................................................................................. 1.1 Project Description .............................................................................................................................. 1.4 Applicable Regulations ....................................................................................................................... 1.4 APE Definitions .................................................................................................................................. 1.4 Direct APE .................................................................................................................................... 1.5 Indirect APE ................................................................................................................................. 1.5 Personnel Qualifications ...................................................................................................................... 1.6 Organization of the Report .................................................................................................................. 1.7 2. Background Information, by Scott H. Kremkau, Tim M. Mills, Mark Q. Sutton, Carly Whelan, Karen K. Swope, Jason D. Windingstad, and Michael K. Lerch ................................................... 2.1 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................................................... 2.1 Geology ......................................................................................................................................... 2.1 Flora .............................................................................................................................................. 2.2 Fauna ............................................................................................................................................. 2.3 Cultural Setting .................................................................................................................................... 2.7 Prehistoric Background ................................................................................................................. 2.7 The Paleoindian Period (12,000–8500 B.P.) ........................................................................... 2.7 The Archaic Period (8500–1500 B.P.) .................................................................................... 2.7 The Patayan Period (1500–200 B.P.) ...................................................................................... 2.8 Ethnographic Background ................................................................................................................... 2.9 Ethnographic Sources from the Colorado Desert.......................................................................... 2.9 Academic Studies ................................................................................................................... 2.9 Land Management Studies ................................................................................................... 2.11 The Cahuilla ................................................................................................................................ 2.12 Settlement and Subsistence .................................................................................................. 2.12 Sociopolitical Organization .................................................................................................. 2.12 Material Culture ................................................................................................................... 2.13 Houses and Other Structures .......................................................................................... 2.13 Hunting and Gathering Implements ............................................................................... 2.13 Baskets, Pottery, and Steatite Vessels ............................................................................ 2.13 Miscellaneous Implements ............................................................................................. 2.13 Trade and Conflict ................................................................................................................ 2.14 Worldview and Ritual Practice ............................................................................................. 2.14 The Chemehuevi ......................................................................................................................... 2.14 Settlement and Subsistence .................................................................................................. 2.15 Sociopolitical Organization .................................................................................................. 2.16 Material Culture ................................................................................................................... 2.16 Houses and Other Structures .......................................................................................... 2.16 iii Hunting, Gathering, and Farming Implements .............................................................. 2.16 Baskets and Pottery ........................................................................................................ 2.16 Trade and Conflict ................................................................................................................ 2.17 Worldview and Ritual Practice ............................................................................................. 2.17 The Mojave ................................................................................................................................. 2.18 Subsistence and Settlement .................................................................................................. 2.18 Sociopolitical Organization .................................................................................................. 2.19 Material Culture ................................................................................................................... 2.19 Houses and Other Structures .......................................................................................... 2.19 Hunting, Fishing, Farming, and Gathering Implements ................................................ 2.19 Baskets and Pottery ........................................................................................................ 2.20 Trade and Conflict ................................................................................................................ 2.20 Worldview and Ritual Practice ............................................................................................. 2.20 The Halchidhoma ........................................................................................................................ 2.21 Subsistence and Settlement .................................................................................................. 2.21 Sociopolitical Organization .................................................................................................. 2.21 Material Culture ................................................................................................................... 2.22 Houses and Other Structures
Load more

Recommended publications
  • People of Snowy Mountain, People of the River: a Multi-Agency Ethnographic Overview and Compendium Relating to Tribes Associated with Clark County, Nevada
    Portland State University PDXScholar Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations Anthropology 2012 People of Snowy Mountain, People of the River: A Multi-Agency Ethnographic Overview and Compendium Relating to Tribes Associated with Clark County, Nevada Douglas Deur Portland State University, [email protected] Deborah Confer University of Washington Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/anth_fac Part of the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, and the Sustainability Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Citation Details Deur, Douglas and Confer, Deborah, "People of Snowy Mountain, People of the River: A Multi-Agency Ethnographic Overview and Compendium Relating to Tribes Associated with Clark County, Nevada" (2012). Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations. 98. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/anth_fac/98 This Report is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Pacific West Region: Social Science Series National Park Service Publication Number 2012-01 U.S. Department of the Interior PEOPLE OF SNOWY MOUNTAIN, PEOPLE OF THE RIVER: A MULTI-AGENCY ETHNOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW AND COMPENDIUM RELATING TO TRIBES ASSOCIATED WITH CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA 2012 Douglas Deur, Ph.D. and Deborah Confer LAKE MEAD AND BLACK CANYON Doc Searls Photo, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District 1325 J Street Sacramento, California Contract: DACA05-97-D-0013, Task 0001 FOSTER WHEELER ENVIRONMENTAL CORPORATION
    CALIFORNIA HISTORIC MILITARY BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES INVENTORY VOLUME II: THE HISTORY AND HISTORIC RESOURCES OF THE MILITARY IN CALIFORNIA, 1769-1989 by Stephen D. Mikesell Prepared for: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District 1325 J Street Sacramento, California Contract: DACA05-97-D-0013, Task 0001 FOSTER WHEELER ENVIRONMENTAL CORPORATION Prepared by: JRP JRP HISTORICAL CONSULTING SERVICES Davis, California 95616 March 2000 California llistoric Military Buildings and Stnictures Inventory, Volume II CONTENTS CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... i FIGURES ....................................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. iv PREFACE .................................................................................................................................... viii 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1-1 2.0 COLONIAL ERA (1769-1846) .............................................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Spanish-Mexican Era Buildings Owned by the Military ............................................... 2-8 2.2 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • History of Nuwuvi People
    History of Nuwuvi People The Nuwuvi, or Southern Paiute peoples (the people), are also known as Nuwu. The Southern Paiute language originates from the uto-aztecan family of languages. Many different dialects are spoken, but there are many similarities between each language. UNLV, and the wider Las Vegas area, stands on Southern Paiute land. Historically, Southern Paiutes were hunter-gatherers and lived in small family units. Prior to colonial influence, their territory spanned across what is today Southeastern California, Southern Nevada, Northern Arizona, and Southern Utah. Within this territory, many of the Paiutes would roam the land moving from place to place. Often there was never really a significant homebase. The Las Vegas Paiute Tribe (LVPT) mentions that, “Outsiders who came to the Paiutes' territory often described the land as harsh, arid and barren; however, the Paiutes developed a culture suited to the diverse land and its resources.” Throughout the history of the Southern Paiute people, there was often peace and calm times. Other than occasional conflicts with nearby tribes, the Southern Paiutes now had to endure conflict from White settlers in the 1800s. Their way of life was now changed with the onset of construction for the Transcontinental railroad and its completion. Among other changes to the land, the LVPT also said, “In 1826, trappers and traders began crossing Paiute land, and these crossings became known in 1829 as the Old Spanish Trail (a trade route from New Mexico to California). In 1848, the United States government assumed control over the area.” The local tribe within the area is the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe (LVPT), their ancestors were known as the Tudinu (Desert People).
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix G1:Phase I Cultural Resources Assessment
    Appendix G1 Phase I Cultural Resources Assessment CONFIDENTIAL - NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION CADIZ VALLEY WATER CONSERVATION, RECOVERY, AND STORAGE PROJECT Phase I Cultural Resources Assessment Prepared for November 2011 Santa Margarita Water District 26111 Antonio Parkway Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Draft CONFIDENTIAL - NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION CADIZ VALLEY WATER CONSERVATION, RECOVERY, AND STORAGE PROJECT Phase I Cultural Resources Assessment Prepared for November 2011 Santa Margarita Water District 26111 Antonio Parkway Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Prepared By: ESA 626 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1100 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Project site location: Cadiz, Cadiz Summit, Cadiz Lake NW, Cadiz Lake NE, Calumet Mine, Chubbuck, Milligan, East of Milligan, Danby Lake, Sablon, and Arica Mountains (CA) USGS 7.5’ Topographic Maps T1S R19E, 20E; T1N R18E, 19E; T2N R17E, 18E; 3N R16E, 17E; 4N R15E, 16E; 5N R14E, 15E Principal Investigator: Monica Strauss, M.A. Report Authors: Madeleine Bray, M.A, Candace Ehringer, M.A., Brian S. Marks, Ph.D. Keywords: San Bernardino County, Cadiz, Milligan, Archer, Freda, Chubbuck, Ward, Siam, Saltmarsh, Sablon, Fishel, Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, Parker Cutoff, General George Patton Desert Training Center, Railroad Siding, Archaeological Survey 626 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 1100 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.599.4300 www.esassoc.com Oakland Olympia Orlando Palm Springs Petaluma Portland Sacramento San Diego San Francisco Seattle Tampa Woodland Hills 210324 TABLE OF CONTENTS Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery,
    [Show full text]
  • Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone Land Use in Northern Nevada: a Class I Ethnographic/Ethnohistoric Overview
    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management NEVADA NORTHERN PAIUTE AND WESTERN SHOSHONE LAND USE IN NORTHERN NEVADA: A CLASS I ETHNOGRAPHIC/ETHNOHISTORIC OVERVIEW Ginny Bengston CULTURAL RESOURCE SERIES NO. 12 2003 SWCA ENVIROHMENTAL CON..·S:.. .U LTt;NTS . iitew.a,e.El t:ti.r B'i!lt e.a:b ~f l-amd :Nf'arat:1.iern'.~nt N~:¥G~GI Sl$i~-'®'ffl'c~. P,rceP,GJ r.ei l l§y. SWGA.,,En:v,ir.e.m"me'Y-tfol I €on's.wlf.arats NORTHERN PAIUTE AND WESTERN SHOSHONE LAND USE IN NORTHERN NEVADA: A CLASS I ETHNOGRAPHIC/ETHNOHISTORIC OVERVIEW Submitted to BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Nevada State Office 1340 Financial Boulevard Reno, Nevada 89520-0008 Submitted by SWCA, INC. Environmental Consultants 5370 Kietzke Lane, Suite 205 Reno, Nevada 89511 (775) 826-1700 Prepared by Ginny Bengston SWCA Cultural Resources Report No. 02-551 December 16, 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................v List of Tables .................................................................v List of Appendixes ............................................................ vi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................1 CHAPTER 2. ETHNOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW .....................................4 Northern Paiute ............................................................4 Habitation Patterns .......................................................8 Subsistence .............................................................9 Burial Practices ........................................................11
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of Arizona History Index, M
    Index to the Journal of Arizona History, M Arizona Historical Society, [email protected] 480-387-5355 NOTE: the index includes two citation formats. The format for Volumes 1-5 is: volume (issue): page number(s) The format for Volumes 6 -54 is: volume: page number(s) M McAdams, Cliff, book by, reviewed 26:242 McAdoo, Ellen W. 43:225 McAdoo, W. C. 18:194 McAdoo, William 36:52; 39:225; 43:225 McAhren, Ben 19:353 McAlister, M. J. 26:430 McAllester, David E., book coedited by, reviewed 20:144-46 McAllester, David P., book coedited by, reviewed 45:120 McAllister, James P. 49:4-6 McAllister, R. Burnell 43:51 McAllister, R. S. 43:47 McAllister, S. W. 8:171 n. 2 McAlpine, Tom 10:190 McAndrew, John “Boots”, photo of 36:288 McAnich, Fred, book reviewed by 49:74-75 books reviewed by 43:95-97 1 Index to the Journal of Arizona History, M Arizona Historical Society, [email protected] 480-387-5355 McArtan, Neill, develops Pastime Park 31:20-22 death of 31:36-37 photo of 31:21 McArthur, Arthur 10:20 McArthur, Charles H. 21:171-72, 178; 33:277 photos 21:177, 180 McArthur, Douglas 38:278 McArthur, Lorraine (daughter), photo of 34:428 McArthur, Lorraine (mother), photo of 34:428 McArthur, Louise, photo of 34:428 McArthur, Perry 43:349 McArthur, Warren, photo of 34:428 McArthur, Warren, Jr. 33:276 article by and about 21:171-88 photos 21:174-75, 177, 180, 187 McAuley, (Mother Superior) Mary Catherine 39:264, 265, 285 McAuley, Skeet, book by, reviewed 31:438 McAuliffe, Helen W.
    [Show full text]
  • The Desert Serrano of the Mojave River
    The Desert Serrano of the Mojave River Mark Q. Sutton and David D. Earle Abstract century, although he noted the possible survival of The Desert Serrano of the Mojave River, little documented by “perhaps a few individuals merged among other twentieth century ethnographers, are investigated here to help un- groups” (Kroeber 1925:614). In fact, while occupation derstand their relationship with the larger and better known Moun- tain Serrano sociopolitical entity and to illuminate their unique of the Mojave River region by territorially based clan adaptation to the Mojave River and surrounding areas. In this effort communities of the Desert Serrano had ceased before new interpretations of recent and older data sets are employed. 1850, there were survivors of this group who had Kroeber proposed linguistic and cultural relationships between the been born in the desert still living at the close of the inhabitants of the Mojave River, whom he called the Vanyumé, and the Mountain Serrano living along the southern edge of the Mojave nineteenth century, as was later reported by Kroeber Desert, but the nature of those relationships was unclear. New (1959:299; also see Earle 2005:24–26). evidence on the political geography and social organization of this riverine group clarifies that they and the Mountain Serrano belonged to the same ethnic group, although the adaptation of the Desert For these reasons we attempt an “ethnography” of the Serrano was focused on riverine and desert resources. Unlike the Desert Serrano living along the Mojave River so that Mountain Serrano, the Desert Serrano participated in the exchange their place in the cultural milieu of southern Califor- system between California and the Southwest that passed through the territory of the Mojave on the Colorado River and cooperated nia can be better understood and appreciated.
    [Show full text]
  • Community Economic Profile Blythe
    COMMUNITY ECONOMIC PROFILE for BLYTHE RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Prepared in conjunction with the City of Blythe and Blythe Area Chamber of Commerce Blythe, incorporated July 24, 1916, is located 227 miles east of Los Angeles, 626 miles south of San Location Francisco and 150 miles west of Phoenix in the Palo Verde Valley along the Colorado River. 1980 1990 2000 2009 Economic Growth Population-County 663,166 1,170,413 1,545,387 2,107,6531 Taxable Sales-County $3,274,017 $9,522,631 $16,979,449 $26,003,5952 and Trends Population-City 6,805 8,428 20,463 21,3291 Taxable Sales-City $69,134 $102,364 $129,240 $160,4762 Housing Units-City 2,433 2,783 4,103 4,5871 Median Household Income-City $14,777 $22,847 $35,324 $42,8503 School Enrollment K-12 4,000 3,772 3,706 3,6104 1. California Department of Finance, January 1, 2009. Population fi gures include Ironwood and Chuckawalla Valley State Prisons populations. Housing count refl ects occupied dwellings. 2. California State Board of Equalization, calendar year 2008. Add 000. 3. WITS, 2009. 4. California Department of Education, 2009. Enrollment count is for 2008-09. AVERAGE TEMPERATURE RAIN HUMIDITY Climate Period Min. Mean Max. Inches 4 A.M. Noon 4 P.M. January 37.4 52.6 67.8 0.48 57 32 32 April 53.4 70.9 88.3 0.13 55 22 19 July 75.7 92.1 108.4 0.21 60 28 25 October 55.4 73.4 91.4 0.27 58 27 28 Year 55.2 71.9 88.5 3.96 58 27 26 RAIL: Arizona & California Railroad serves the Palo Verde Valley, with connections to Burlington Transportation Northern Santa Fe Railroad out of Barstow and Phoenix for transcontinental destinations.
    [Show full text]
  • ATTACHMENT B Dams and Reservoirs Along the Lower
    ATTACHMENTS ATTACHMENT B Dams and Reservoirs Along the Lower Colorado River This attachment to the Colorado River Interim Surplus Criteria DEIS describes the dams and reservoirs on the main stream of the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona to Morelos Dam along the international boundary with Mexico. The role that each plays in the operation of the Colorado River system is also explained. COLORADO RIVER INTERIM SURPLUS CRITERIA DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT COLORADO RIVER DAMS AND RESERVOIRS Lake Powell to Morelos Dam The following discussion summarizes the dams and reservoirs along the Colorado River from Lake Powell to the Southerly International Boundary (SIB) with Mexico and their specific roles in the operation of the Colorado River. Individual dams serve one or more specific purposes as designated in their federal construction authorizations. Such purposes are, water storage, flood control, river regulation, power generation, and water diversion to Arizona, Nevada, California, and Mexico. The All-American Canal is included in this summary because it conveys some of the water delivered to Mexico and thereby contributes to the river system operation. The dams and reservoirs are listed in the order of their location along the river proceeding downstream from Lake Powell. Their locations are shown on the map attached to the inside of the rear cover of this report. Glen Canyon Dam – Glen Canyon Dam, which formed Lake Powell, is a principal part of the Colorado River Storage Project. It is a concrete arch dam 710 feet high and 1,560 feet wide. The maximum generating discharge capacity is 33,200 cfs which may be augmented by an additional 15,000 cfs through the river outlet works.
    [Show full text]
  • Beolobical Survey
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BEOLOBICAL SURVEY Generalized geologic map of the Big Maria Mountains region, northeastern Riverside County, southeastern California by Warren Hamilton* Open-File Report 84-407 This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards and stratigraphic nomenclature 1984 *Denver, Colorado MAP EXPLANATION SURFICIAL MATERIALS Quaternary Qa Alluvium, mostly silt and sand, of modern Hoiocene Colorado River floodplain. Pleistocene Qe Eolian sand. Tertiary Of Fanglomerate and alluvium, mostly of local PIi ocene origin and of diverse Quaternary ages. Includes algal travertine and brackish-water strata of Bouse Formation of Pliocene age along east and south sides of Big Maria and Riverside Mountains, Fanglomerate may locally be as old as Pliocene. MIOCENE INTRUSIVE ROCKS Tertiary In Riverside Mountains, dikes of 1 e u c o r h y o 1 i t e Miocene intruded along detachment fault. In northern Big Maria Mountains, plugs and dikes of hornbl ende-bi at i te and bioti te-hornbl ende rhyodacite and quartz latite. These predate steep normal faults, and may include rocks both older and younger than low-angle detachment faults. Two hornblende K-Ar determinations by' Donna L. Martin yield calculated ages of 10. 1 ±4.5 and' 21.7 + 2 m.y ROCKS ABOVE DETACHMENT FAULTS ROCKS DEPOSITED SYNCHRONOUSLY WITH EXTENSIONAL FAULTING L o w e r Tob Slide breccias, partly monolithologic, and Mi ocene Jos extremely coarse fanglomerate. or upper Tos Fluvial and lacustrine strata, mostly red. 01i gocene Tob T o v Calc-alkalic volcanic rocks: quartz latitic ignimbrite, and altered dacitic and andesitic flow rocks.
    [Show full text]
  • UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Prescribed fire and tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) associated cultural plant resources of the Karuk and Yurok Peoples of California Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/02r7x8r6 Author Halpern, Arielle Publication Date 2016 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Prescribed fire and tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) associated cultural plant resources of the Karuk and Yurok Peoples of California by Arielle Anita Halpern A dissertation in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Biology in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Wayne P. Sousa, Co-Chair Professor Thomas J. Carlson, Co-Chair Professor Scott L. Stephens Frank K. Lake, Ph.D. Spring 2016 Abstract Prescribed fire and tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) associated cultural plant resources of the Karuk and Yurok Peoples of California by Arielle Anita Halpern Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Biology University of California, Berkeley Professor Wayne P. Sousa and Professor Thomas J. Carlson, Co-Chairs The targeted application of prescribed fire has long been used by Native Californian peoples to manage plant resources of cultural value. Their ability to employ this management tool has been increasingly restricted by local, state and federal agencies in response to recent drought conditions and the highly flammable state of most western U.S. forests, where, for decades, fires of any magnitude have been suppressed as a matter of policy. This diminished access to cultural prescribed fire has impacted tribal access to many of the plant resources and cultural activities upon which Karuk and Yurok cultures are based.
    [Show full text]
  • The Creation and Flute Lure Myths: Regional Patterns in Southern California Traditions
    Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 155-178 (2001) The Creation and Flute Lure Myths: Regional Patterns in Southern California Traditions DON LAYLANDER ASM Affiliates, Inc. 543 Encinitas Blvd., Suite 114, Encinitas, GA 92024 Among the 'ways in 'which traditional narratives shed light on prehistory, regional variations in shared myths provide insights concerning cultural conservatism or fluidity and the patterns of social interaction among groups. A comparative analysis offwo myths recorded in numerous versions from southern California, 'western Arizona, and northern Baja California suggests that the region's traditional cultures 'were shaped by ongoing borro'wing and innovation to a greater extent than has sometimes been supposed, and that individual narrative motifs typically had relatively short lifespans ofafe'w centuries at most. Cultural interaction among the region's different peoples 'was evidently little constrained by disparate linguistic heritages, competing military alliances, or social and economic dissimilarities. "KTative Californian traditional narratives shed light on regional prehistory and ethnohistory in -/.\ several different ways. In some cases, they directly preserved information about past events (e.g., Laylander). More generally, they reflect past lifeways, including material culture and social organization, but in particular they mirror ideas about human nature, morality, and aesthetics which were otherwise often not well documented (e.g., Blackburn 1975). The present study considers two additional ways in which traditional narratives are revealing, based on interethnic sharing of common narrative themes and story elements. Diachronically considered, the extent to which patterns of narrative sharing crosscut the primary lines of cultural descent, as those were marked by linguistic affiliations, is a measure of the extent to which the groups' traditions were open to borrowing and innovation, rather than static and conservative.
    [Show full text]