CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE IN SEARCH OF SOAPSTONE A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology by Gwendolyn Roxanne Romani May, 1982 The Thesis of Gwendolyn Roxanne Romani is approved: Dr. Ke1'-/ th }lorton; California State University, Northridge ii DEDICATION This thesis is lovingly dedicated to John, Dan, The Hoot, T 'n T, and of course, Huya. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all the individuals who contri­ buted to this thesis. My deepest thanks go to John Romani and Dan Larson, who were the primary contributors and editors. Also, a very special thanks goes to Bob-Wlodarski for sharing his valuable knowledge of Catalina and soap­ stone. I am also ·endebted to the conversations, informa­ tion and help I received from the following people: Arlene Benson, Dr. Thomas Blackburn, Alan Corbin, Thorn Davis, Bob Edberg, John Foster, Dr. Jay Frierrnan, Roberta Greenwood, Dr. Travis Hudson, Chester King, Nelson Leonard III, Chris Martinez, Mike Mcintyre, Breck Parkman, Leslie Schupp­ Wessel, Clay Singer, Joel Tepp and Rick Wessel. Further thanks go to Doug Probst of the Catalina Island Conservancy, Mr. Stanton and Lyndal Laughrin for access to the islands of Catalina and Santa Cruz, respectively, Dr. Charles Rozaire and Andy Christenson for letting me "wonder" around the artifact collections at·the County Museum of Natural History and UCLA, and Dr. Peter Weigand who assisted John and me with the geochemical analysis. And finally, but not least, Devin Thor, as one of my editors, Marybeth Gerin, who devised the map and helped edit, Jo Ann Thor, Jan Hawthorne, and Morn and Dad for their support and understanding when I needed it. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv ABSTRACT viii Chapter 1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE STUDY 1 INTRODUCTION . 1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK . 2 INTRODUCTION .•.•••.•. 2 GENERAL THEORETICAL CONCEPTS . 4 SPECIFIC THEORETICAL CONCEPTS 7 Aspects of Distribution . 8 Definitions of the Aspects of Distribution . 10 SPECIALIZED UNITS OF PRODUCTION 14 Discussion . 14 Examples of Specialized Labor Units . 15 Definitions of Specific Types of Organization . 17 DISCUSSION AND PROCESS 23 2 ANALYSIS OF "SOAPSTONE": THE ROCK 25 INTRODUCTION . 25 DEFINITION OF SOAPSTONE 26 ' MINERALOGY OF SOAPSTONE . 29 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SOAPSTONE DEPOSITS . 31 GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOAPSTONE . 32 3 ETHNOGRAPHIC~ ETHNOHISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION · · · 36 v I ' Chapter Page INTRODUCTION 36 ETHNOGRAPHIC AND ETHNOHISTORICAL DATA 37 CHUMASH . 37 Geographical Territory .•..... 37 Language . • 39 Social Organization . 40 Exchange . 49 GABRIELINOS 57 Territory ......•.... 57 Language . • 57 Social Organization . • 58 Exchange . 61 CHUMASH AND GABRIELINO RELIGION 64 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION 71 INTRODUCTION • . • • •• 71 STANDARD CHRONOLOGY • . .•.••. 72 REVISED CHRONOLOGY . •. 74 ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXAMPLES OF CHUMASH CRAFT SPECIALIZATION ••.. 77 SUMMARY AND SYNTHESIS OF THE DATA 79 4 CHUMASH EXAMPLES OF SPECIALIZED LABOR UNITS . 85 INTRODUCTION . 85 BROTHERHOOD-OF-THE-TOMOL 88 Types of Water Crafts . 88 TomoZ Ownership . .. 90 TomoZ Builders • . ..• 91 Assistants . • . • . • 92 Aspects of Internal Organization . 93 SINEW-BACKED BOW "GUILD" . 96 Types of Bows . 96, Sinew-Backed Bow Ownership . • . 97 Sinew-Backed Bow Makers . • . 98 Assistants . 98 Aspects of Internal Organization . 99 SUMMARY OF THE DATA 100 vi p . Chapter Page 5 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON MICACEOUS- SOAPSTONE PRODUCTS . 103 INTRODUCTION . 103 SANTA CATALINA ISLAND 103 CHRONOLOGY •• 105 GABRIELINO: PALOS VERDES PENINSULA 107 CHRONOLOGY • • 107 MAINLAND CHRONOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS . 108 MANUFACTURE OF MICACEOUS SOAPSTONE . 109 EXCHANGE OF MICACEOUS SOAPSTONE PRODUCTS . 115 DISTRIBUTION OF MICACEOUS SOAPSTONE PRODUCTS . • . 118 USE OF MICACEOUS SOAPSTONE PRODUCTS . 121 SUMMARY OF THE DATA . 125 6 ANALYSIS AND FURTHER RESEARCH 129 INTRODUCTION . • . 129 PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS . 130 PROGRAM FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 139 REFERENCES 143 APPENDIX A DEFINITION OF ARTIFACT TYPES . 159 B DISTRIBUTION OF SOAPSTONE OUTCROPS • 163 vii ABSTRACT IN SEARCH OF SOAPSTONE by Gwendolyn Roxanne Romani Master of Arts in Anthropology This study synthesizes the known ethnographic, ethno­ historical and archaeological data regarding micaceous soapstone production and distribution, and presents a theoretical framework by which this data can best be under­ stood. The theoretical framework is derived from a struc­ tural marxist approach. This framework is applied towards an analysis of the least known aspects surrounding micace­ ous soapstone products--the social units of labor and the relations of production--that governed the manufacture and distribution of these commodities in the Late and Historic Periods of the Churnash and Gabrielino, and its development from the Early Period. As a result of this initial investigation, a research program is outlined by which a number of social variables can be tested through future studies. viii Chapter 1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE STUDY INTRODUCTION Manufactured micaceous soapstone products were extremely important commodities within the prehistoric and historic economic structures of the Gabrielino and Chumash societies of coastal southern California. The most char­ acteristic products made from this type of stone included cooking and/or storage implements such as bowls, ollas and comals. The nature and properties of the stone allowed it to be adopted as a valuable resource since, (1) it is soft and easily modified into various forms, (2) the deposit outcrops are massive and non-foliated in structure and are conducive to the extraction of various-sized, pre-formed objects, (3) it is tolerant to direct heat and exposure and actually hardens from dehydration, and (4) it is easily modified into new forms if broken. On the basis of evidence from geological and archaeo­ logical reports within the study area, micaceous soapstone seems to be a unique lithic resource available only on Santa Catalina Island. While there are two unconfirmed locations of this stone that are said to exist on the Palos Verdes Peninsula (Butler 1974:23) and known outcrops/ 1 2 quarries in San Diego County (Leonard 1979, 1981; Parkman 1981; Parkman et al. 1981), there is no evidence to indi­ cate that these sources were significantly utilized for products distributed within the Chumash, Gabrielino and closely adjacent areas. Therefore the Catalina inhabitants were probably the major, if not the sole, producers of micaceous soapstone products for the study region. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The technological processes involved in the appropria­ tion of the raw micaceous soapstone and its manufacture into vessel forms are fairly well documented. It is the actual social organization of the labor unit(s), their relations to the consumer populations and the intermediary social entities participating and/or controlling the exchange and distribution of the products that are the least understood. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the social variables related to micaceous soapstone produc­ tion and distribution by using the available data in con­ junction with specific theoretical concepts derived from a structural marxist theoretical framework. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK INTRODUCTION Providing a theoretical framework for an analysis is prerequisite for any study and "ultimately must depend upon one's assessment of its utility for the problem at 3 hand" (Kohl 1978:407). The particular problem revolves around the social organization for the production and dis­ tribution of micaceous soapstone products within the Gabrielino and Chumash cultural spheres. Most empirical analyses do not delineate or account for the social pro­ cesses leading towards such a development or in understand­ ing the subtle aspects of its form at any given time period; however, a structural marxist approach focuses on the understanding of such problems and processes. In doing so, it involves the underlying dynamics of cultural change from an internal perspective of a society's structure and must focus on the "conditions of production and reproduc­ tion in material life" (Godelier 1978a:50). Unlike other theoretical models, structural marxism transcends "the false dichotomy between synchrony and diachrony by making the object of analysis the system of social reproduction" (Friedman 1975:162), which cannot be divorced from time. The links between a society's functioning structures, as well as the techno-environmental conditions, must be analyzed in order to understand the overall social forma­ tion. It is from the various internal reproductive proper­ ties of the structures that transformation will occur (Friedman 1975:163). The intent of this study is not to completely recon­ struct the social formations of the Chumash and Gabrielinos or to define the modes of production. The particular con­ cern of this study focuses on the manufacture of micaceous 4 soapstone vessels and the investigation of their role in aboriginal society from a diachronic and synchronic per- spective during the Historic Period. The completion of such a study should provide additional information on social relations and contribute to the general understand- ing of the Chumash and Gabrielino social formations. The following section defines and summarizes some of the impor- tant concepts of structural marxism as used in this study. These concep~s primarily relate to the functions and sig-