REVIEWS 203 the Myoma Dunes sites, but the coprolites University of Utah Bulletin, Biological there produced no pollen of domestic plants. Series 10(7): 17-166. Therefore, the squash probably were not grown locally. Wilke notes, however, that agriculture has some antiquity among the Cahuilla; it figures prominently in myth and ritual and there are Cahuilla terms for crop The Ancient Californians: Rancholabrean plants and planting methods. The crops Hunters of the Mojave Lakes Country. themselves derive from the Lower Colorado Emma Lou Davis, ed. Natural History agricultural complex. Museum of Los Angeles County, Science From this Wilke concludes that agriculture Series 29, 1978. $10.00 (paper). is best viewed as but one aspect of Cahuilla Reviewed by DAVID L. WEIDE Indian subsistence that had arisen by early University of Nevada, Las Vegas historic times. Late Prehistoric Human Ecology at Lake "The Mojave Desert is among all things Cahuilla is of major importance to scholars of contradictory" are the opening lines of an California Desert prehistory. It provides the archaeological report that, like its subject first clear picture of the changing lake stands matter—the reconstruction of prehistoric in the Salton Basin and the probable cultural lifeways in the lacustrine basins of the north­ changes and population movements that west Mojave Desert—is both controversial followed. The catastrophic changes in Lake and contradictory, speculative yet factual, Cahuilla must have had far-reaching influence tangible but agonizingly illusive. The author over a wide area of southern California. The clearly states that this book is "experimental" significance of these changes for the late pre­ and those of us who know her agree—the book history of adjacent areas should be apparent is experimental—life is experimental—and to the reader. she is to be commended for saying what she Wilke is to be commended for providing a believes and believing in what she says. carefully constructed and well-executed model The book (site report? monograph?) may of the late prehistory of Coachella Valley. Not be divided into three parts. First, an introduc­ only is it relevant to current research in the tion by Davis and her co-author Carol California deserts, but it is so constructed as to Panlaqui of the Maturango Museum, Ridge- stimulate hypotheses that will test its validity. crest, California, to the locale—the basin of Those who wish to disagree with Wilke will ancient Lake China which at 12 thousand find that he has cleared the way for easy debate years ago and from two to six thousand years —provided the dissenter is in command of ago formed one of the lakes comprising the appropriate data. runoff system along the eastern edge of the Sierran escarpment. Second, a detailed REFERENCE archaeological study of approximately fifteen "sites" or, more precisely, concentrations of Hubbs, C. L., and R. R. Miller archaeological material spatially associated 1948 The Zoological Evidence: Correlation with a series of long transects and exhaustively Between Fish Distribution and Hydro- mapped quadrats coinciding with the east graphic History of the Desert Basins of Western United States. In: The Great shore of the now vanished lake. Third, a trilogy Basin, with Emphasis on Glacial and of supportive papers dealing with Holocene Postglacial Times. Salt Lake City: palynological history (P. J. Mehringer, Jr.), 204 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY the Rancholabrean fauna discovered during the archaeological layman who wishes to the course of the archaeological survey (D. E. identify with the early mammoth hunters of Fortsch), and a description and chronology the desert lake basins nor particularly organ­ of the soil stratigraphy related to the broader ized in a manner that makes it of reference and better understood chronology of neigh­ quality to the serious archaeologist in search boring Searles Lake (G. I. Smith). of correlative data. The recurring theme of The Ancient If relative and absolute chronology are Californians focuses on the speculation that the heart of this report, stratigraphy is the Man (and Woman!) as hunter, gatherer, soul; and the stratigraphic problems associated butcher, and pragmatic domestic occupied the with unraveling the geographic and environ­ shores of Lake China at least 45,000 years ago, mental history of a pluvial lake as ephemeral a suggestion based on lithic technology, as Lake China during the last 12 to 15 thou­ "style," and degree of artifact weathering, but sand years are enough to tax any Sherlock of unsubstantiated by either relative or absolute shorelines. The basic problem faced by Davis chronology. The "Early Man" emphasis, in my and her co-workers was one of stratigraphic opinion, neither adds to nor detracts from the units kilometers in width and length and only content but assuredly will raise archaeological centimeters in thickness. The archaeology hackles within the ranks of those who demand consists basically of a column (or more cor­ testable hypotheses and substantive analogous rectly a film) characterized by pedologic and models. These are not particularly the point topographic factors influenced or created by of Davis' monograph. Somewhere, someone scores of different microenvironments that should be allowed the freedom of uninhibited fluctuated markedly both in space and through speculation. time. In this environment, artifact assem­ In reviewing this work, I am tempted to blages, though bound together spatially and, develop a plus, minus, and questionable perhaps, stylistically, must float in a strati­ column much as one "grades" the examination graphic sea with only the vaguest of correla­ of a precocious but unconventional student. tive chronologic reference points. Listed among the assets surely must be the To summarize the key points of these attention to detail in archaeological recording chronologic controls, first, Davis presents and site mapping that stands as a model of powerful evidence to link human activity with recent field methodology. The 74 detailed site a fauna, including mammoth and, to a lesser maps represent hundreds of hours of dedicated extent, horse, camel, and sabertooth; in other labor and reflect thousands of hours of inten­ words, a Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene sive field work. In addition, the verbal megafauna that one might expect to inhabit descriptions of "tool kits" are good for they the xeric woodland and cold steppe Mojave allow one to "see" the material, shape, and at 22 to 12 thousand years ago. Second, G. I. wear patterns. On the questionable scale lies Smith, basing his argument on both a series the prose, which, highly uneven and in places of '•'C dates and on correlation with a well- redundant, ranges from the determinedly documented chronology from Searles Lake, scientific to the almost embarassingly personal places what Davis terms the artifacts of and which suffers from lack of a strong "PaleoSiberian Origin" (p. 96) in the context external editorial hand. On the negative side, of an absolute chronology ranging backwards however, the chief drawback of 77?^ Ancient to a maximum of 10,275 years ago. The occur­ Californians is the fact that it is neither con­ rence of such well-documented strata are, sistently simple and exciting enough to capture however, dishearteningly few considering the REVIEWS 205 vast extent of the Lake China shoreHne. is the wealth of detail on technology, food Reviewing the chronological arguments gathering and preparation, journeys, and other for antiquity, given that stone tools of respect­ aspects of Kumeyaay life. able age were found in conjunction with an Perceptions by the author of Kumeyaay extinct fauna, both the palynological data of values and philosophy are presented in the Mehringer and the '"'C and stratigraphic data context of daily activities and interaction of Smith combine to place a reasonable time between people as well as in recountings of the bracket of 7 to 14 thousand years on the Lake traditional myths. China activity. Arguments for greater antiq­ An introduction by the Education Coordi­ uity, no matter how enticing they may be, nator of the San Diego Museum of Man are, in my opinion, purely speculative. This provides information on the author and the is acceptable. The recurring theme, however, context in which the book was originally reflects the author's desires rather than the written. The book includes "A Note on the facts and, combined with her esteem for the Pronunciation of the Indian Names." Each very human characteristics of her "People of new Indian word is also pronounced in a foot­ the Lakes" that gives The Ancient Californians note on the page in which it first occurs. A a distinct charm, allows (perhaps forces) her brief list of herbs used by the Kumeyaay for to infer more from the data than the data food and medicine and the way they are pre­ warrant. pared is illustrated with a page of plant drawings. Other illustrations are also scattered throughout the book: drawings of objects and scenes mentioned in the stories. The work Indians of the Oaks. Millicent Lee. Ramona, concludes with a "Little Dictionary" of Indian words. California: Acoma Books, 1978 (new edition), 256 pp., illus., $6.95 (paper). The writing style is very readable, with short sentences and clear language, marred Reviewed by VERA-MAE FREDRICKSON only by occasional coyness. This book is Berkeley, California highly recommended as supplementary read­ ing for any course concerned with California These two stories of Kumeyaay (Southern Indians in elementary and high schools. Dieguefio) life in the foothills of southern California were originally published in 1937. The author, the Founder-Director of the Indian Arts League of San Diego, had spent many years with the Kumeyaay as they moved A Southern California Indigenous Ceramic from one seasonal site to another practicing Typology: A Contribution to Malcolm the remnants of their traditional life. J. Rogers' Research. Ronald V.