EVALUATING THE VALIDITY OF THE CHICO REGIONAL CULTURE CHRONOLOGY: RADIOCARBON AND OBSIDIAN ANALYSIS AT THREE LATE PERIOD VILLAGE SITES ____________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, Chico ____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Anthropology ____________ by Devin L. Snyder Spring 2014 EVALUATING THE VALIDITY OF THE CHICO REGIONAL CULTURE CHRONOLOGY: RADIOCARBON AND OBSIDIAN ANALYSIS AT THREE LATE PERIOD VILLAGE SITES A Thesis by Devin L. Snyder Spring 2014 APPROVED BY THE DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND VICE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH: _________________________________ Eun K. Park, Ph.D. APPROVED BY THE GRADUATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE: ______________________________ _________________________________ Guy Q. King, Ph.D. Antoinette Martinez, Ph.D., Chair Graduate Coordinator _________________________________ Frank E. Bayham, Ph.D. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Like anything that requires hard work and dedication, this thesis would not have been possible without the help and support of numerous individuals. First and foremost, I would like to thank my committee, Dr. Antoinette Martinez and Dr. Frank Bayham, for continually pushing me to improve as a writer, researcher, and archaeologist. Within the CSU, Chico Anthropology Department, Dr. Eric Bartelink, Dr. Keith Johnson, and Kevin Dalton also offered insight and facilitated access to resources that I would have otherwise been unable to utilize. Despite his constantly busy schedule and the fact that he wasn’t even on my thesis committee or obligated to help me, Dr. Bartelink put me in contact with one of his colleagues and allowed me to receive a reduced rate for radiocarbon dating. Kevin also put up with me throughout the research and writing processes, and helped me conduct obsidian sourcing in the Archaeological Lab. I can only imagine how tired he got of hearing “Hey Kevin, can you help me with ______?” from me. In my mind, the efforts the above individuals took on my behalf really speaks to the type of people that they are. Outside of CSU, Chico, I also received support and insight from a number of people, including Arlene Ward and Mike DeSpain of the Mechoopda Maidu Tribe, Benjamin Fuller, Dr. Simon Fahrni, and Shari Bush of the W. M. Keck CCAMS Laboratory at UC Irvine, numerous staff members at Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Dr. Graham Bench at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Dr. iii Richard Hughes at the Geochemical Research Laboratory, Tom Origer and associates at Origer’s Obsidian Lab, and Dr. Terry Joslin and the 2012 James A. Bennyhoff Memorial Fund Award Committee. While Arlene was with the Far West Heritage Association (FWHA), she helped me locate portions of the CA-BUT-1 collection and persuaded members of the FWHA board to allow me to use artifacts for obsidian studies. Far Western staff, including Jeff Rosenthal, Mike Darcangelo, Bill Hildebrandt, Jack Meyer, and Phil Kaijankoski, shared a number of CRM reports concerning the greater Chico area that were relevant to my studies. Benjamin, Simon, and Shari were responsible for processing a majority of the radiocarbon samples included in this thesis, and did so at a steeply discounted rate. As part of the Bennyhoff Memorial Fund Award, Dr. Graham Bench provided additional radiocarbon dating services free of charge. Dr. Richard Hughes and Tom Origer and associates provided obsidian sourcing and hydration analysis work for free as well as part of this award. Each of these people deserves recognition for their efforts because without them, I would not have been able to complete my thesis. Additional funding for research was also made available by the CSU, Chico Associated Student Sustainability Fund Committee, the CSU, Chico Office of Graduate Studies Student Research Grant, and the James A. Bennyhoff Memorial Fund Award. I would also like to thank all of my Chico area friends and family for their assistance in this process (whether knowingly or unknowingly), particularly when I was in the latter stages of writing this thesis and needed some encouragement to finish. Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank my parents, Ross and Lori, my brother iv Garrett, and Aimee Van Havermaat for their unwavering support in my pursuit of a career in archaeology. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................... iii List of Tables.............................................................................................................. ix List of Figures............................................................................................................. x Abstract....................................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER I. Introduction.............................................................................................. 1 Purpose of Study........................................................................... 10 Study Area Location..................................................................... 11 Thesis Structure............................................................................ 12 II. A History of Chronology Construction and Archaeological Investigation in Northern California ........................................................ 14 Introduction .................................................................................. 14 Chronology-Building in the Sacramento Valley .......................... 15 Chronology-Building in the Oroville Locality............................. 21 Chronology-Building in the Chico Vicinity................................. 27 Assessing the Existing Chronological Framework....................... 38 Site Selection................................................................................ 43 Chapter Summary......................................................................... 44 III. Ethnographic and Environmental Setting................................................. 46 Introduction .................................................................................. 46 Issues Concerning Ethnographic Literature ................................. 47 Linguistic Background ................................................................. 49 Territory and Social Organization................................................ 50 Flora and Fauna ............................................................................ 53 Subsistence ................................................................................... 56 vi CHAPTER PAGE Villages, Seasonal Rounds, and Property Rights ......................... 58 Traditional Material Culture......................................................... 60 External Relations and Interpersonal Conflict ............................. 61 Post-Euro-American Contact........................................................ 64 Chapter Summary......................................................................... 65 IV. Methodology............................................................................................. 67 Introduction .................................................................................. 67 Existing Collections Description.................................................. 68 Sampling Strategy ........................................................................ 77 Radiocarbon Dating...................................................................... 80 Radiocarbon Sampling Strategy................................................... 81 Obsidian Sourcing ........................................................................ 83 Obsidian Hydration ...................................................................... 85 Obsidian Sampling Strategy......................................................... 86 Chapter Summary......................................................................... 88 V. Results...................................................................................................... 90 Introduction .................................................................................. 90 AMS Radiocarbon Results ........................................................... 91 Obsidian Sourcing Results ........................................................... 97 Obsidian Hydration Results.......................................................... 100 Chapter Summary......................................................................... 111 VI. Discussion and Interpretation of Results.................................................. 113 Introduction .................................................................................. 113 Obsidian Sourcing and Hydration Results ................................... 114 Radiocarbon Results..................................................................... 129 Radiocarbon and Obsidian Hydration Discrepancies................... 136 Chapter Summary......................................................................... 142 VII. Summary and Conclusion......................................................................... 144 Contributing to the Chico Chronology......................................... 144 Areas for Future Research............................................................ 148 References Cited......................................................................................................... 150 vii CHAPTER PAGE Appendices A. Obsidian Sourcing Sample Lists and