UC Merced Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology Title A Fluted Projectile Point Fragment from the Southern California Coast: Chronology and Context at CA-SBa-1951 Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4db3j4bm Journal Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, 9(1) ISSN 0191-3557 Authors Erlandson, Jon M Cooley, Theodore G Carrico, Richard Publication Date 1987-07-01 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California 120 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY True, D. L. 1966 Archaeological Differentiation of Sho­ shonean and Yuman Speaking Groups in A Fluted Projectile Point Fragment Southern California. Ph.D. dissertation. from the Southern California Coast: University of California, Los Angeles. Chronology and Context Vastokas, J. M., and R. K. Vastokas at CA-SBa-1951 1973 Sacred Art of the Algonkians: A Study of the Peterborough Petroglyphs. Peter­ JON M. ERLANDSON, Dept. of Anthropology, borough, Ontario: Mansard Press. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106. THEODORE G. COOLEY, WESTEC Sendees, WaUace, W. J. Inc., 1221 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. 1978 Post-Pleistocene Archaeology 9000 to RICHARD CARRICO, WESTEC Services, Inc., 2000 B.C. In: Handbook of the North 5510 Morehouse Drive, San Diego, CA 92121. American Indians, Vol. 8, California, R. F. Heizer, ed., pp. 25-36. Washington: RECENT archaeological research on the Smithsonian Institution. Santa Barbara coast yielded a fragment of a 1986 A Remarkable Group of Carved Stone fluted projectUe point among a larger lithic Objects from Pacific Palisades. Paper assemblage from CA-SBa-1951. The avail­ presented at the Society for California able data suggest that the fluted point has Southern California Data Sharing Meet­ no direct temporal relation to the remainder ing, Nov. 1, 1986, University of Cali­ of the site assemblage, which was obtained fornia, Los Angeles. from a large low-density site that appears to Waters, F. date primarily to King's (1981) Early period. 1%3 Book of the Hopi. New York: Ballan- Although small, the fluted point fragment tine Books. exhibits attributes common to classic Clovis- WeUmann, K. F. like points found elsewhere in California 1974 Some Observations on Human Sexuality (e.g., Harrington 1948) and western North in North American Indian Rock Art. America. While similar fluted points have Southwestern Lore 40(1):1-12. been reported from many interior California 1979 A Survey of North American Indian sites (Davis and Shutler 1969; Glennan 1971; Rock Art. Graz, Austria: Akademische Carlson 1983; Moratto 1984), only one Druck-u. Verlangsanstalt. coastal specimen has been reported pre­ Works Progress Administration viously. This was a Clovis point from the 1938 Anthropological Project #7680 Daily northern California coast (Simons et al. Notes. MS on file at the Pacific Coast 1985). The CA-SBa-1951 fluted point ex­ Archaeological Society Research Li­ tends the geographical range of Clovis points brary, Santa Ana, California. in North America and represents an ex­ Yates, L. tremely rare occurrence along the Pacific 1889 Charm Stones: Notes on the So-Called coast. "Plummets" or "Sinkers." Washington: This paper discusses the geological and Smithsonian Institution Annual Report archaeological context of the fluted point for 1886, Pt. 1:296-305 from CA-SBa-1951, describes the technolog­ ical and material attributes of the specimen, and explores two alternative hypotheses for the derivation of the point. A FLUTED POINT FRAGMENT 121 Golau SANTA BARBARA Pt. Conception I SBl 1951 I VENTURA PACIFIC OCEAN San Miguel Island Anacapa Island Kilofnvurt 30 Fig. 1. Location of the fluted point find. LOCATION AND SETTING m. (197-230 ft.) above sea level, 800 m. from OF CA-SBA-1951 the Pacific shore, at the north end of an CA-SBa-1951 is located approximately 60 uplifted marine terrace dating to the last km. west of Santa Barbara, California (Fig. interglacial. Canyons bracket the site on 1). Gaviota State Park lies 13 km. to the the east and west, and the Santa Ynez east and Point Conception 9 km. to the Mountains rise steeply to the north. west. The site is at an elevation of 60-70 CA-SBa-1951 is the type locality for the 122 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY Conception Soil Series (Shipman 1981:21), and test excavation units were field screened comprising fine sandy loam formed in Pleis­ over 1/8-in. mesh to reduce bulk, with tocene alluvium. The sedimentary matrix at screen residuals returned to the laboratory CA-SBa-1951 is generally moderately to for further processing. In the laboratory, slightly acidic, an attribute that may account all field screen residuals were water- for the dearth of faunal remains recovered screened over 1/8-in. mesh, dried, and at the site. Soil profiles at the site contain sorted. Column samples were removed from a thick and stron^y developed argiUic (Bt) B selected test units and water screened over horizon, a feature that represents 10,000 1/16-in. mesh. Sediment samples were also years or more of in situ soil formation removed from selected units and tested for (RockweU 1984:124). pH, texture, and color. The area encompassing CA-SBa-1951 has The results of excavations at CA-SBa- been used for farming and grazing for many 1951 suggest that the site extends for up to years and the site is bisected by a paved 300 m. from east to west and a minimum of road. Conipared to adjacent areas of the 125 m. from north to south. Due to access Santa Barbara coast, the archaeological re­ restrictions outside the construction corridor, cord of the study area is relatively pristine: the southern boundary of the site could not little archaeology or relic-hunting has taken be determined. In the tested area, the place. The area is currently used for cattle archaeological deposits averaged approxi­ grazing and is covered with a mixture of in­ mately 80 cm. in depth, reaching a maximum troduced grasses and low shrubs. of 130 cm. ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS CHRONOLOGICAL INDICATORS AT CA-SBA-1951 The lack of datable organic remains of The site was first discovered in 1985 clear cultural origin limits our ability to (Imwalle and Cooley 1985) during reconnais­ reconstruct the chronology of CA-SBa-1951. sance of a proposed pipeline corridor asso­ Currently, the site chronology must be eval­ ciated with the Chevron Point Arguello Pro­ uated on the basis of a small collection of ject. During the initial phase of investiga­ "temporally diagnostic" artifacts and three tion, the fluted point fragment was found on hydration measurements from obsidian arti­ the site surface in a disturbed context two facts derived from the Coso volcanic field. meters south of the paved road that bisects Both dating techniques are relatively impre­ the site. cise at present. During 1986, a revised pipeline right-of- Analysis of the CA-SBa-1951 assemblage way was the subject of relatively intensive suggests that the site was occupied primarily investigation, including several episodes of during King's (1981) Early period (ca. 3,500- surface collection, excavation of 21 shovel 8,000 B.P.). This chronological inference is test pits (STPs) and 25 test excavation units based largely on the relative abundance of (10 units measuring 0.5 x 1.0 m. and 15 units manos and metates and the near absence of measuring 1x1 m.), and controlled mechan­ artifacts diagnostic of later periods of Santa ical trenching with intensive archaeological Barbara Channel prehistory (i.e., mortars and monitoring. No additional Clovis-like arti­ pestles). Aside from the fluted point, five facts were recovered. projectile point fragments were recovered, All sediments excavated from the STPs including large side-notched and leaf-shaped A FLUTED POINT FRAGMENT 123 Table 1 OBSIDIAN HYDRATION DATA FROM CA-SBA-1951 A: Sample and Hydration Data Unit: Type of Width Weight Hydration Rind Level Artifact (nun.) (Sd Sonrte Mean Range 4:0-20 Biface fragment 18 0.6 Coso 7.6 7.4-7.8 6:2040 Flake 9 0.1 Coso IS 7.4-7.6 6:40-60 Flake fragment 7 0.1 Coso 7.6 7.4-7.7 Site Mean (n = 3) 7.57 B: Age Calibration --Midpoint of Age Extimates- Mean Rind Meighan* Ericson'' Koerper et aL*^ SBA-2028'' Thickness (1983) (1978) (1986) Value 7.5 1,650 B.P. 2,580 B.P. 3,500 B.P. 6,293 B.P. 7.6 1,672 B.P. 2,614 B.P. 3,500 B.P. 6,376 B.P. 220 ± 44 yeais/micTon 344 ± 69 yean/micron Logaiitiunic rate based on Orange County data 839 yeais/micron based on 9 values from buried midden forms commonly associated with the Early as old as 6,400 B.P., an age that appears period. more consistent with the recovered artifact Although the sample of obsidian hydration assemblage. However, the burial of the CA- measurements from CA-SBa-1951 is small, SBa-2028 stratum beneath 100-150 cm. of al­ the three available readings are internally luvium may have reduced the temperature of consistent in their similarity (Table lA). the soil matrix and slowed the hydration of Unfortunately, the chronological implications obsidian at the site. of the obsidian hydration data are difficult to interpret because of variability in THE EARLY PERIOD SITE ASSEMBLAGE published hydration rates for Coso obsidian Artifact Assemblage and the lack of comparative data from the Eighty-one tools or tool fragments were Santa Barbara coast. Extrapolation from two collected during investigations at CA-SBa- general hydration rates published for Coso 1951 (Table 2), including 20 ground stone obsidian (Ericson 1978; Meighan 1983) yields implements and 61 chipped stone tools and ages for the CA-SBa-1951 artifacts that fall cores.