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An Analysis of Late Period Chumash Microdrills from Ca-Slo-214

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An Analysis of Late Period Chumash Microdrills from Ca-Slo-214 DRILL BABY, DRILL! AN ANALYSIS OF LATE PERIOD CHUMASH MICRODRILLS FROM CA-SLO-214 by Michelle Blake A thesis submitted to Sonoma State University in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS ill Cultural Resources Management . Wingard, Ph.D., Chair Ashley Hall, Ph.D. Ethan Bertrando, M.A. /2 - /- 20/0 Date Copyright 2010 by Michelle Blake ii AUTHORIZATION FOR THE REPRODUCTION OF MASTER'S THESIS I grant permission for the reproduction ofthis thesis project in its entirety, without further authorization from me, on the condition that the person or agency requesting reproduction absorb the cost, provide proper acknowledgment ofauthorship and notice to the author. I grant permission for the reproduction ofparts ofthis thesis project without further authorization from me, on the condition that the person or agency requesting reproduction absorb the cost, provide proper acknowledgment ofauthorship and notice to the author. DATE: /2. -0/ - 2cIO Signature iii DRllL BABY, DRll.L! AN ANALYSIS OF LATE PERIOD CHUMASH MICRODRILLS FROM CA-SLO-214 Thesis by Michelle Blake ABSTRACT This thesis research focuses on a curated CRM collection of Late Period Chumash chert microdrills from CA-SLO-214. The main goal of this research is to compare the Chumash drill-making industry in Los Osos to the known industry on the Channel Islands. A literature review was conducted on both Chumash mainland and island microdrills. Laboratory analysis focused exclusively on the collection of microdrills from Los Osos in order to compare the less studied Northern Chumash microdrills to the documented Santa Cruz Island microdrills. This research shows that the Northern Chumash m~de and used chert microdrills. These tools have been found on the coast near Los Osos and inland in San Luis Obispo. These Northern Chumash microdrill types are very similar to each other, but dissimilar to microdrill types found further south near Gaviota, and very different than the microdrills on Santa Cruz Island. I show that the Northern Chumash had a microdrill production industry dissimilar in technology, intensity, and wear patterns to their southern counterparts, but have similar dimensions. The presence of these tools in this area may suggest a higher degree of social complexity than has been previously thought. MA ogram: Cultural Resources Management Sonoma State University Date: ~ iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to all the individuals that have helped me in this thesis process. First, my committee members: John Wingard, Ashley Hall, and Ethan Bertrando. They endured several drafts of this thesis and many edits. Thanks again to Ethan Bertrando for providing me with the CA-SLO-214 microdrill collection and many references. Barry Price at Applied Earthworks granted me access to the CA-SL0-44 microdrill collections and report that aided in the familiarization with microdrills. Nancy Farrel also allowed access to a collection from Cayucos. The Sonoma State University Cultural Resources Management Cohort of 2008 helped in this project in its infancy. Joy Greenberg edited this thesis, and her professional editing advice greatly improved it. The William M. Keck Microanalysis Laboratory in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Sonoma State University gave me the opportunity to analyze the microdrills using a scanning electron microscope. Dr. Hongtao Shi granted me initial access to this microscope and Steve Anderson assisted and instructed me on its use. Thank you for allowing me to use this tool. Thank you to my family and friends who have supported me throughout my education and encouraged me to pursue this course of study. I especially want to thank Greg Greenberg, who was a major factor in the completion of this project. He is always inspiring and supportive, and has kept me sane for the last couple years. He also provided great insight to this project and made excellent edits. Finally, I am very appreciative to the financial support I have received that has assisted me in this thesis process. Scholarships from the Anthropological Studies Center, Hazel Taylor Family, John and Delores Headley, Edgar and Beulah Dryden, and the Petrovich Family allowed me to focus more on my studies. Thank you! v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. Introduction 1 II. Late Period Chumash Culture and Regional Variability 5 III. Complexity and Its Causes 15 IV. Chumash Shell Money Beads 30 V. Chumash Microdrills 38 VI. Research Design 65 VII. Findings 85 VIII. Conclusion 110 References Cited 120 Appendix A: Data 127 Appendix B: Figures 130 VI TABLE OF CHARTS Chart Page 1 CA-SLO-214 microdrill types percentages 85 2 Number of each micro drill section in the CA-SLO-214 collection 88 3 CA-SLO-214 microdrill dimension averages 89 Vll TABLE OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Map of Chumash territory l30 2 Olivella biplicata wall bead manufacturing stages and bead-making tools l31 3 Olivella biplicata shell l32 4 Diagram of a rnicrodrill, illustrating microdrill characteristics 132 5 Artist's rendering of Chumash bead-maker using hafted rnicrodrills 133 6 Flake drills common in the Middle Period from Santa Cruz Island 134 viii I Chapter I Introduction The prehistoric Chumash were a Native American group who lived on the Central Coast of California. Chert microdrills produced by the Chumash provide researchers insights into Chumash complexity. Most research about Chumash micro drill production and use has been concentrated on the California Channel Islands. However, these activities were not isolated on the Channel Islands, but were present on the mainland in what is today San Luis Obispo County and elsewhere. This research contributes to the knowledge of microdrill production in mainland Chumash territory by studying artifacts from curated collections. Additionally, this research strengthens the understanding of regional tool variation within the Chumash area and challenges the political, economic, and social structures researchers have imposed on the Northern Chumash. Regional Variations Focus Extensive archaeological research, historical documentation, and ethnographic records provide a detailed description of the Santa Barbara Channel Chumash. This information has been applied to the broader Chumash region because of many similarities betwe~n the Chumash groups during the Late Holocene (Erlandson 2002). However, there are also many differences in Chumash sub-groups, including the specifics, timing, and conditions of social complexity and how they adapted to the environment. Erlandson (2002: 321) urges archaeologists to shift away from "sweeping generalizations" towards focusing more regionally on "specific historical foundations of cultures." He states that regional variation is more apparent with the increased amount of information and data 2 from coastal California, and these local variations should be the focus of archaeological investigation in order to understand the peculiarity of the archaeological record (Erlandson 2002: 323). Therefore, it is important to study this region's cultural distinctions in order to understand the broader cultural history of prehistoric California. This research studies how Northern Chumash cultural adaptations differed from the Santa Barbara Channel in regards to bead and microdrill manufacture during the Late Period. On the periphery of Chumash territory, the Northern Chumash sub-region has not received as much attention as the Island and Santa Barbara Channel Chumash. Very little archaeological research was conducted in the Northern Chumash area until cultural resources management (CRM) began in the 1970s (Jones and Ferneau 2002). The Central Coast did not have enough archaeological data to adequately understand the cultural history of the area, so the gaps were filled with what was known about the surrounding areas such as the Santa Barbara Channel and the San Francisco Bay (Jones and Ferneau 2002; Jones et al. 2007). Eventually CRM work in the 1980s provided enough information to separate the Northern Chumash as culturally different from other groups of Chumash (Jones and Ferneau 2002; Jones et al. 2007). CRM continues to dominate archaeological work on the Central Coast and has exposed increasing variability during the Late Period. The area surrounding Morro Bay Estuary is especially important to examine because the presence of microdrills. Some researchers believe the Chumash bead-making industry was limited to the Channel Islands during the Late Period, and that this industry is closely tied to Chumash social complexity. However, microdrills have been found at other mainland Chumash sites, including CA-SLO-214, a site in Los Osos. CA-SLO-214 3 is important because it has the potential to illuminate specifics on how the Late Period Northern Chumash were divergent from the general Chumash descriptions. Specifically analyzing chert microdrills from CA-SLO-214 shows how the Northern Chumash were unique in their tool variation and suggests a more intricate socio-economic structure. Thesis Overview This research seeks to expand what is known about a group on the northern margin of the Chumash region during the Late Period. The main goal of this research is to compare the Chumash drill-making industry on the Morro Bay Estuary to the known industry on the Channel Islands. The data used in this research is from a curated CRM collection of unanalyzed chert micro drills from multiple excavations of a single occupation site. Laboratory analysis focused exclusively on the collection of micro drills from Los Osos in order to compare the less studied Northern Chumash micro drills to the documented Santa Cruz Island microdrills. The results were interpreted and appropriate theories of social complexity were considered in the conclusion. I show that the Northern Chumash from the Morro Bay area had a microdrill production industry dissimilar in technology and intensity to those in the southern area. In Chapter 2, I introduce the Chumash culture in order to illustrate the differences among Chumash sub-regions. In Chapter 3, I present the relevant theoretical frameworks regarding cultural complexity that have been applied to Chumash prehistory. I review what is known about Olivella biplicata shell money beads and their production among the Churnash in Chapter 4.
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