Investigations of a Rock Feature Complex at the Mirror Point Site (CA-SBR-12134/H), Western Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, California By Kish D. La Pierre B.A. (California State University, Fresno) 2003 Thesis Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology Graduate Division California State University Bakersfield 2012 Copyright by Kish LaPierre 2012 All Rights Reserved TO THE OFFICE OF MASTERS OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ANTHROPOLOGY The member of the committee examining this thesis of Kish LaPierre find it satisfactory and recommend that it be accepted. Brian Hemphill Mark Sutton ) Robert Yohe II, Chair iii Dedicated to the memory of Jay von Werlhof iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It took a whole village to raise this archaeologist. I would first like to thank my committee chairman Dr. Robert Yohe II. Dr. Yohe introduced me to the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake and Russell Kaldenberg who in-turn introduced me to the Mirror Point site. Without Dr. Yohe I would not be where I am today in my career. I want to thank Dr. Mark Sutton and Dr. Brian Hemphill for their support and guidance on this project. I want to thank Russell Kaldenberg and Sandy Rogers, both of these brilliant men have been important mentors to me during these past few years. I also have a great CRM mentor in my boss Mike Baskerville. I owe a special thanks to my friend and colleague Audry Williams for her much needed technical support (beautiful maps!) in the final stages of this document. Finally, I want to thank Dr. Alan Gold for his advice and support over the years. I owe much gratitude and thanks to the following people: Mike Darcangelo, Dr. William Hildebrandt, Three Girls and a Shovel, my friends at Far Western Anthropological Group Inc., my friends at ASM Affiliates Inc., my friends at Epsilon Systems Inc., Fran Rogers, Rebecca Orfila, Barb Gossett, Bill Gossett, Jeanne Murrin, Bill Wight, Jerry Grimsley, Louie Wren, Kristina Roper, Brian Wickstrom, Dr. Elmer Eerkins, Craig Skinner, Lit Brush, Jim Fairchild, Victoria Harvey, Dr. David Whitley, Dr. Frank Yancey, and Lynn Johnson. I especially would like to thank my forever dedicated and awesome mother Susan LaPierre and my step-father Lawrence Sargosa, I love you both. Finally I would like to thank my supportive husband Michael Berthold, I love you and thank you for being there when I needed you. v ABSTRACT This thesis describes and interprets a large rock feature complex and associated artifact caches from the Mirror Point site (CA-SBR-12134/H) located on the east side of Searles Lake within the boundaries of the South Range, Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, California. The objectives of this investigation: to access the lifeways of the inhabitants that once occupied this site; activities of the occupants at this site; time period(s) when this site was occupied; and purpose or function of rock features and associated artifact caches. Archaeological investigations of CA-SBR-12134/H included four surface scrapes and the excavation of eight test units, mapping of the overall site surface, and analysis of recovered materials. Artifacts recovered from this site include large obsidian bifaces, glass, silver, and shell beads, a bow fragment, pottery, debitage, historic bottles, mining debris, and several types of projectile points. Because the rock features and artifacts seem to serve no utilitarian purpose it is assumed that this site was visited for ideological reasons. Diagnostic artifacts span from the Early Period (before 6600 BP) to Historic times (circa 1900). It is possible if not likely that these artifacts were collected from other sites and brought to CA-SBR-12134/H as part of a ritual offering and that the site was visited from prehistoric to historic times. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………….…………….……iii Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………vi Chapter 1: Introduction and Research Design Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Site Description .................................................................................................................. 3 Chapter 2: Theoretical Perspectives Theoretical Perspectives .................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 3: Regional Background Regional Background ........................................................................................................ 23 Environment..................................................................................................................... 23 Ethnography and Ethnohistory ........................................................................................... 25 Archaeological Background ................................................................................................ 35 Chronology Developed for the Mojave Desert ...................................................................... 35 Chronology Developed for the Great Basin .......................................................................... 40 Curate Behavior ................................................................................................................ 43 Previous Archaeological Research in the Region .................................................................. 44 Chapter 4: International and National Perspectives Regarding Anomalous Rock Features Cairns .............................................................................................................................. 48 Rock Alignments ............................................................................................................... 51 Hunting Blinds .................................................................................................................. 52 Prayer Seats ..................................................................................................................... 54 Cache Pits ........................................................................................................................ 55 Medicine Wheels ............................................................................................................... 57 Rock-Rings/Tipi Rings/Stone Rings ..................................................................................... 61 Earthen Mounds/Mounds ................................................................................................... 75 Research Design ............................................................................................................... 78 Chapter 5: Investigations at CA-SBR-12134/H Investigations at CA-SBR-12134/H ..................................................................................... 88 Field Methods ................................................................................................................... 88 Field Investigations ........................................................................................................... 89 Test Excavation Units ........................................................................................................ 89 Rock Cairns and Alignments at Loci A, B, and D .................................................................. 98 Rock Features Containing Artifact Caches ........................................................................... 99 Locus C (aka Mill Pond Site) ............................................................................................ 116 Chapter 6: Artifact Assemblage Introduction ................................................................................................................... 119 Flake Stone Tools and Debitage ....................................................................................... 119 Projectile Points .............................................................................................................. 119 vii Bifaces ........................................................................................................................... 120 Edge Modified Flakes ...................................................................................................... 125 Cores ............................................................................................................................. 125 Debitage ........................................................................................................................ 126 Interpretations ............................................................................................................... 130 Ground Stone ................................................................................................................. 130 Wood ............................................................................................................................ 132 Ceramics ........................................................................................................................ 133 Beads ............................................................................................................................ 135 Miscellaneous Paraphernalia ............................................................................................ 140 Faunal Remains .............................................................................................................. 142 Obsidian Studies ............................................................................................................