Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 54 (2019) 235–253
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Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 54 (2019) 235–253 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Anthropological Archaeology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jaa Technological change and interior settlement on western Santa Rosa Island, T California ⁎ Christopher S. Jazwa , Richard L. Rosencrance Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, United States ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: We use data on site distributions, chronology, and artifact assemblages from a large, fat upland landscape on Site chronology Santa Rosa Island to better understand the relationship between coastal and interior settlement patterns on Coastal archaeology California’s northern Channel Islands. This region, Pocket Field, was an important hub of occupation during the Mobility patterns late Pleistocene/early Holocene (before 7550 cal BP) and throughout the late Holocene (3600–168 cal BP). A Territoriality radiocarbon chronology for the region suggests that settlement patterns are consistent with what has been Artifact typologies observed in coastal locations, with an increase in site density throughout the late Holocene. Groundstone is an Medieval climatic anomaly important component of the late Holocene archaeological record, although it decreases in importance following the droughts of the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA; 1150–600 cal BP). Olivella biplicata shell bead production at dense midden sites indicates that occupation of the region was not just for access to terrestrial resources. An increase in sites with projectile points during the MCA may refect an increase in interpersonal violence and indicate that increasing territoriality that occurred on the coast may have extended into the island interior. Our study demonstrates that interior sites were integral components of island settlement and subsistence patterns, even when diet is heavily marine-oriented. 1. Introduction et al., 2015; Thakar, 2014), but the long-term tradition of archae- ological research on the NCI has largely focused on the coast. Orr Although islands are frequently considered laboratories for ar- (1968) discussed “Highland Sites” in the island interior, mostly between chaeological research (e.g., Fitzhugh and Hunt, 1997), there are often the deep drainages on the coastal terrace in the northern part of the important diferences in the subsistence and settlement patterns of is- island. The sites he discussed were primarily larger interior sites, many land inhabitants from those who live in mainland coastal settings. This of which contained house depressions and human burials, and the few may include limited access to certain types of resources, particularly radiocarbon dates he obtained were mostly from the middle Holocene. terrestrial ones. An example is California’s northern Channel Islands Orr’s Highland Sites do not seem to explicitly include the smaller sites (NCI). Although recent paleobotanical studies have shown that terres- investigated in this study. trial plant resources were varied and abundant on the NCI (e.g., Gill, Walker and DeNiro (1986) showed that in the Santa Barbara 2013, 2014, 2015; Gill and Hoppa, 2016; Hoppa, 2017), island in- Channel region, coastal mainlanders consumed more terrestrial protein habitants did not have access to large terrestrial game like deer that than islanders, refecting the relative availability of marine and coastal were available to their mainland coastal neighbors (Erlandson, 1994). resources. Although inland occupants of the NCI certainly had access to Furthermore, the relatively small size of the NCI prevented the forma- terrestrial plant resources, they would nonetheless have had a close tion of large drainages like on the adjacent mainland, making fresh relationship with the coast (see Jazwa et al., 2015), likely involving water scarcer (e.g., Jazwa et al., 2016a). seasonal or short-term movement. Therefore, it is not possible to fully It is for these reasons that most of the largest archaeological sites on understand settlement and subsistence strategies without considering the NCI and all of the historically documented and named villages are sites both on the coast and in the interior. This includes questions about located on the coast, usually at the mouth of one or more prominent whether territorial settlement patterns that became more prevalent on drainages (Johnson, 1993; Kennett, 2005; Glassow et al., 2010). Recent the NCI beginning during the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA; work has focused on understanding the role of interior sites in patterns 1150–600 cal BP; Jazwa et al., 2017b) extended into island interiors. of island occupation (e.g., Perry and Glassow, 2015; Gill, 2015; Jazwa One region of western Santa Rosa Island, Pocket Field, provides an ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (C.S. Jazwa). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2019.04.007 Received 11 December 2018; Received in revised form 8 April 2019 0278-4165/ © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. C.S. Jazwa and R.L. Rosencrance Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 54 (2019) 235–253 opportunity to better understand the chronology of interior settlement when sea levels were lower during the late Pleistocene (Erlandson et al., on the NCI. This region, which ranges from Pocket Field Road to the 2011; Rick et al., 2013). west to Garañon Canyon to the east (Fig. 1), is one of the largest interior At the time of European contact in 1542, population density in the fat areas on the NCI unbroken by a deep canyon. A series of dense Santa Barbara Channel was among the highest for hunter-gatherers residential shell midden sites line northwest-southeast trending dune globally (Moratto, 1984; Johnson, 1988; Kelly, 1995; Gamble, 2008; felds interspersed with groundstone and lithic scatter sites. These sites Winterhalder et al., 2010). Mainland villages were large, with estimates contain surface scatters of abundant diagnostic and undiagnostic lithics, ranging from 800 residents (Johnson, 1988) to more than 1000 groundstone, and shell bead production debris. Together, these cultural (Gamble, 2008). Their complex economy was heavily maritime based. materials suggest long-term or repeated occupation of Pocket Field, This included subsistence on coastal resources including shellfsh, fsh, indicating that it may have been an important region for settlement and and sea mammals (e.g., Erlandson, 1988, 1994, 2001; Erlandson et al., accessing interior resources like plant foods including geophytes and 2008; Glassow, 1993b, 1997, 2005; Glassow et al., 2007, 2010; Jazwa other small or large seeds (Gill, 2013). Fresh water today accumulates et al., 2012, 2013, 2016b, 2017b; Jazwa and Perry, 2013; Kennett, seasonally in depressions in the landscape between dunes and may have 1998, 2005; Raab et al., 2009; Rick et al., 2005; Walker and DeNiro, been more readily available as fog water than at lower elevations along 1986). Craft specialists manufactured plank canoes (tomols) that had the coast (Gill et al., 2019). restricted ownership and were used for trade and accessing ofshore sea In this study, we develop a chronology for inland settlement of mammal and pelagic fsh species (Arnold, 1992a, 1995, 2001; Gamble, Pocket Field based on survey data collected from 2014 to 2018. We 2002; Fagan, 2004). Specialists also made Olivella biplicata1 shell beads present the distribution and chronology of settlement and the artifact that were exchanged widely and chert microdrills that were used to assemblage for 111 recorded sites in this region. This includes evidence drill holes for the beads (Arnold, 1987, 1990, 1992a, 1992b, 2001; of Paleocoastal (before 7550 cal BP) occupation based on the presence Arnold and Munns, 1994; Munns and Arnold, 2002; Kennett, 2005; of crescents, Channel Islands Barbed (CIB) points, and Amol (CIA) King, 1990; Rick, 2007). points (Rick et al., 2013; Erlandson et al., 2011; Braje et al., 2013). While social inequality had its roots during the middle Holocene Middle Holocene (7550–3600 cal BP) occupation is possible, but there (King, 1990; Glassow, 2004), social complexity, including institutions are no dates or diagnostic artifacts away from the terrace edge con- associated with craft specialization, grew rapidly during the late Ho- frming it. An increase in population density in Pocket Field during the locene. There were increases in population density and expansion to late Holocene (after 3600 cal BP) is supported by radiocarbon dates, the areas that did not previously have evidence of permanent settlement at abundance of mortars and pestles, and shell bead production debris the beginning of the late Holocene (Kennett, 2005; Kennett et al., 2009; throughout the region. Winterhalder et al., 2010; Jazwa et al., 2016b, 2017a). This may have The presence of arrow points also indicates a late Holocene occu- been related to climatic amelioration that occurred at this time (Jazwa pation and may refect the efects of confict and territoriality beginning et al., 2016a). Beginning around 1300 cal BP, there appears to have during the MCA (Kennett et al., 2013; Jazwa et al., 2017b). This study been a short-term demographic increase on the NCI, followed by a includes an analysis of the chronology of occupation of a distinct in- decrease lasting from about 1150–600 cal BP. There was a subsequent terior region of Santa Rosa Island, providing important information increase from 600 cal BP until the time of Spanish contact and a sub- about the relationship between coastal and interior residential sites in sequent