a__ k l1 A A A I £ a *o * a Number 34 1976 ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE SOUTH COAST RANGES OF CALIFORNIA' . a . os ^ Ms.^; ^ i ,^,2u CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH FACILITY Number 34 1976 ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE SOUTH COAST RANGES OF CALIFORNIA by Zenon Stephen Pohorecky UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Department of Anthropology Berkeley This publication is dedicated with respect and gratitude to the late Professor Theodore D. McCown EDITOR'S PREFACE The present work is the unrevised doctoral dissertation of Zenon S. Pohorecky, now Professor of Anthropology at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. It was finished and filed in 1964. Zenon took graduate work under my direction and carried out fieldwork in the Cosumnes River valley. When it came time for him to write his dissertation we decided that a general review of the archaeology of the south Coast Ranges would be a challenging topic. The Mnt-281/282 sites, excavated earlier first by myself and later by R. K. Beardsley, had never been reported, and this offered an opportunity to realize that desideratum. I guided Zenon's initial analysis but while he was in the middle of his work I went to Europe for six months. Professor T. D. McCown kindly agreed to take my place as principal thesis advisor, and Zenon completed his dissertation under him. While it would have been good to update the dissertation, now twelve years old, this has not been possible, and the reader will thus know that no findings made in the last dozen years are contained herein. Robert F. Heizer - i - PREFACE This study could not have come to a state of completion in 1964 without the assistance of numerous individuals and institutions, and I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to at least a few of the major contributors. The Canada Council was generous in sponsoring material assistance for theyear that it took to analyze and document the materials in this thesis. Also, a graduate student grant from the University of California Patent Fund made it possible for me to conduct field operations in the South Coast Ranges during December, 1963. This, in turn, made meaningful areal and chronological correlations possible, since the archaeological literature for these purposes is too limited to have been productive. Professor R. F. Heizer, who discovered and excavated the key sites in this project (Mnt-281 and Mnt-282), also initiated this project and guided research between June, 1963 and January, 1964, revising 2 preliminary drafts. Professor T. D. McCowan devoted many hours to careful guidance during the spring semester, 1964. This has resulted in several major revisions, extensive reorganization of materials, and further development of fundamental points in this final version. Professor M. Baumhoff (Davis Campus) has added valuable comments, and Professor S. F. Cook has examined the manuscript. Dr. James Bennyhoff helped to guide the study during its initial stages, while James T. Davis and Albert B. Elsasser have offered helpful information at various times during this research. Drs. K. P. Emory and Y. H. Sinoto of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu have corresponded with me regarding the problematical fish-hooks which occur in the South Coast Ranges and in Oceania. Clarence Ruth and Ernest Dalidio are 2 collectors who should be singled out for special mention, although there are others who have given freely of their time. Among these are Mrs. Hilda Hagne, Artifacts Chairman of the Monterey Historical Society, and Mrs. Jessie Plaskett of Salinas. At Gorda, near Willow Creek, I enjoyed the hospitality and help of Roland Chivers and Vina Frame. Added to these, at Salinas alone, might be Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Vera, John Ward, John Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Gerbrandt, Mrs. Lois Koolwyk, Louis Schneider, William Jeffery, and Chris Hall. Mrs. Edna Flood of the Archaeological Research Facility at the University of California in Berkeley has been particularly accomodating in allowing me to refer to the voluminous records and to otherwise take advantage of the facilities in this office. Thanks are also due to Professor William Bascom for permitting me access to the archaeological collections from Willow Creek in the storage quarters of the Robert H. Lowie Museum of Anthropology in Berkeley. Mr. Vernal L. Yadon, curator of the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History in Monterey County, was cooperative in showing me his archaeological files and specimens, and the librarians at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History were very helpful in making available for my study certain materials under their jurisdiction. - ii - To all of these, and many more, including my patient wife, Stephanie, who helped me check and recheck the more mechanical portions of this study, I extend my gratitude and hope of satisfying here. - iii - CONTENTS CHAPTERILAIPTERC I-II - OBJECTIVES*BACKGROUND *. 0:.0.0. .. ..D.. .. .............. .... .0 . .................. .I. .5 CHAPTER 11 - BACKGROUND 5 Natural Features Physical Rellef ........... ...... ...... ......... ... ... 5 Climate 5 Flora and Fauna ...... ........*..* ....................... 6 Ethnohistory . .............................................. .0.. 7 Salinans and Costanoans ................................... 7 Aboriginal Values on Mollusc Shells ........................ 9 Playano Problem ................................10 Tribal Relations ......... ........*.. ....0000 ... .........0 12 Esselen Problem ....... ........0000000............... 15 Ethnology and Archaeology .......... 000@SS ............... 16 Chapter Sumamary .................... 17 CHAPITER III - WILLOW CREEK COMPLEX Introduction ........*... 19 Phases .. ...... ... ...*..... ... 19 Alternative Analytic Modes ............. ................. 20 Functional Correlates of Artifacts.......................... 20 Alternative Modes of Inference ............................. 21 Setting .o. 22 Wild Life *.........00000000000000000000000000000000000000 23 Geology ...... 0 0..*..*...*. ...********************.. 24 Inland Trails ........... 25 Stopover Areas ...... ...* .......................... 27 Sunmary of Setting ............... 28 Stratigraphy ........ 29 Horizontal Stratification .**** @**** o** @,********o 29 The Lower Midden (Mnt-282) . ...... ...................... 29 Reconstruction of Mnt-282 0oo0ov*0*0*****@0****0.****,*** 30 Summary of Mnt-282 *********** ................... .o. 31 The Upper Midden (Mnt-281) 0....00000000000000000 0 0 0 32 Summary. of. Mnt-281...o..g.... ... ................................................... 33 Summary of Stratigraphy .................... 33 Burials ..... .000000000000000000000000000000000000000 34 Burial Sequences ...............ooooooooooooeoooooosoooo 36 Alternative Burial Analysis ............................... 36 Reconstruction of Burial Events ........................... 36 Phase 1 (Proto-Salinan) v .0... 37 Phase 2a (Proto-Salinan) 000,000.0 000.. 0.0 ,0.0.0.*g.*. 37 Phase 3 (Proto-Costanoan) ...................... 37 Phase 2b (Proto-Salinan) ..................... 38 - iv - Phase 2b (Proto-Salinan) .............. ... 38 Phase 4a (Proto-Costanoan) ....................... 38 Phase 2c (Proto-Salinan) .......................... 38 Phase 4b (Proto-Costanoan) ........................ 38 Phase 2d (Proto-Salinan) ... @*S@Se@S@SS.@@.e@O..... 38 Phases 4c, 4d, 4e (Proto-Costanoan) ................ 39 Summary of Burial Analysis .........................* 39 Lithic Artifacts Chipped Lithic Points * ................................... 39 Chronology of Points *0**@@@@............*...... 39 Earlyv...................... 39 Middle *****@****@**********,******,,,**,*. 40 Late .....................40 Typology of Points **@****************************. 40 Type 1 *****....*****...*............** 40 Type2 ..................................... 40 Type 3 [email protected]........... 41 Type 4 ...* 41 Type 5 ... 41 Type 6 ................................... 41 Chronological Sub-Types 41 S&mmary of Chipped Lithic Points....................... 42 Incised Ground Slate Objects 42 Pestles 43 Phase 2 43 Phase 4 44 Hopper Mortars ... ............... 44 Type a (Phase 2) *................................ 44 Type b (Phase 4) ....... .. ... 44 Pitted Stones ... ..................... 0 45 Cobble Mortars *.....................**.. 45 Pigment Mortar .......................... 45 Incipient Cobble Mortars .......................... 45 Unfinished Spindle Worls . ...........*.* ........ 46 Drilling Bases ..................... * 46 Stone Sinkers ............*. @...... 46 Grooved (Phase 2) . 47 Notched (Phase 4) *....................0............ 47 Rubbing Stones . .. *.................................. 47 Abaing Stones ..... - @@@ .@.. 47 Discs .. 47 Granitic Ground Stones .... ............. 48 Rubbed Schist Fragment .................. 48 Chert Slab *S@@@@@@@SS@@@[email protected]@S@@.. 48 Awl Sharpener .*@.... ........ ........ ...... *...... 48 _v_ Asbestos Poker ...............s...... ..... 48 w0tv-atite Obiects .....................................48 Short Paddle *.......*..............**..... 48 Pendant-like Bal ............................................ 49 Steatite Ring *..000000.0........................ 49 Sandstone Plummet ***.**..*...*................ 49 Red Ocher Lumnps ... ................. ... .. * ....* 49 Asphaltum-Covered Rocks ........... ....... ....... .... 49 Hammerstones ... .. ......... ... ....... *0 . .. *.. 50 Chert Objects 0....0 0..........Os.......*00...... 51 Fire-cracked Rocks ........... ............................... .. ....a. 52 Phase 1 - Choppers ....................