CA-MNT-1748/H

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Cultural Chronology

Radiocarbon - Obsidian Studies - Beads - Summary

Radiocarbon Determinations

Six radiocarbon dates were obtained from this site: four from mussel shells and two from charcoal samples associated with features. The oldest date (calibrated to A.D. 1280), was obtained from charcoal extracted from Unit 2 Feature 2 (the house floor). It suggests that the structure was constructed ca. A.D. 1280. A sample of charcoal from Feature 1, the ash concentration on top of the floor returned a range of alternative calibrated dates between A.D. 1670 and 1950. The midpoint in this range was A.D.1800. Assuming that the ash concentration represented by Unit 2, Feature 1 reflects terminal burning of the house, the best estimate for the span of the house’s use is A.D. 1280-1800. It should also be acknowledged, however, that radiocarbon dates are not highly precise for the historic era.

The four shell samples were all from fairly shallow proveniences within the midden (Stratum I). In general, pieces of shell from the lower depths were limited to tiny pieces unsuitable for traditional radiocarbon analysis. The four shells produced calibrated dates between A.D. 1530 and 1670 (with an upwelling correction value of 290+35 years) and A.D. 1570-1680 (with an upwelling correction value of 325+35 years). Overall, the radiocarbon results suggest that the midden marks an occupation dating between A.D.1280 and 1800.

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Obsidian Hydration and XRF Results

All eight obsidian specimens were submitted for XRF and hydration analysis. Source determinations were successful for all eight of the specimens, while hydration readings were obtained from only seven. Six specimens proved to originate from Casa Diablo (Lookout Mountain) and the other two were from the Coso source. All but one of the pieces (specimen 1748-1-73 from the 120-130 cm level of Unit 1) were from the same range of depths as the radiocarbon samples (20-70 cm), but the dating results were wholly different from the C14 result. The five hydration readings on Casa Diablo obsidian were between 3.4 and 5.5 microns, with one reading of 3.4, one of 3.6, one of 4.5, and two of 5.5 microns. The two Coso readings of 2.0 and 2.4 microns (one a drill) are consistent with the Late Prehistoric Period, but most interpretations of the Casa Diablo readings in this range suggest Middle and Early Period occupation. There are a number of possible explanations for these results. First, there is the possibility that hydration readings are simply inaccurate and unreliable. On the central coast, previous studies have shown significant discrepancies between hydration and radiocarbon results suggesting that the latter should always be relied upon over the former in assessing site chronology. Second, the hydration results may indicate the presence of an earlier occupational component in the deeper levels of the deposit beneath the midden. If this is true, it would have to be assumed that the obsidian pieces were transported to shallower depths as a result of the action of ground burrowing animals or prehistoric construction activities (e.g., building a semi-subterranean house). Given the abundant evidence for rodent activity, this is a viable possibility. Third, the obsidian pieces with the thicker rims were scavenged from earlier sites in the area and therefore do not reflect the age of this deposit. None of these alternatives can be conclusively ruled out.

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Shell, Stone, and Glass Beads

The collection contained a total of 73 beads including 54 of Olivella shell, 12 of steatite, 5 of clam, 1 of Haliotis shell, and 1 glass bead. One unmodified Olivella shell was also recovered. The specimens represent nine major classes including six classes in the Olivella collection.
Olivella Shell Beads (N = 54). Simple spire lopped beads, which are nearly complete Olivella shells with only the spire removed, were represented by 14 specimens, including, three medium spire lopped (A1b), seven large spire lopped (A1c), and four incomplete specimens of indeterminate size. Large and medium spire lopped have no temporal significance and are known to occur from the Early through Protohistoric Periods. Small spire lopped beads have a similarly broad temporal span, although they are most common in the Early Period and Phase 1 of the Late Period in central California. At CA–MNT–1748/H, all of the spire lopped beads were recovered from depths between 10 and 80 cm within the midden.

Punched spire lopped beads exhibit a perforation in the body whorl in addition to spire lopping, and were represented by three examples in the current collection. All of these specimens represented subtype A4c, and all were recovered from between 10 and 30 cm. The temporal significance of this type is uncertain.

Class B, end ground beads, are Olivella shells with both the spire and variable amounts of the aperture end removed. Only one example, a variant type B3a (small barrel) was recovered. This was one of only three beads recovered from below 60 cm. Specimen 1748-5-40 was found in the 60-70 cm level of Unit 5. These beads seem to be temporally ubiquitous.

Shell and Stone Beads from CA-MNT-1748/H

Twelve beads represented the Class E (Lipped) type which was the most abundant Olivella bead during the Protohistoric and Historic Periods in central California. A chronological sequence exists from round thin lipped through oval thin lipped to full and deep lipped and ending with large lipped. In the All of these variants are represented in the current collection including five E1, two E2, four E3, and one fragmentary specimen of the E class that could not be assigned to subtype. The round thin lipped (E1a), a marker type for early Phase 2 of the Late Period in central California, was represented by a single example. Oval thin lipped beads (E1b) were represented by three beads. This type is also a marker for early Phase 2 of the Late Period. One full lipped bead (E2a) was recovered from the 10-20 cm level of unit 2. This type, a marker for late Phase 2 of the Late Period, was gradually replaced by large lipped beads (E3) in the early Historic period. Large lipped beads (E3), consisting of half–shell oval beads, first appeared in late Phase 2 of the Late period and were most common during the Historic period. The collection contains three full large lipped (E3a) beads and one deep large lipped (E3b) bead.

Class G (Saucer) beads are circular beads made from the wall of the Olivella shell. They are divided into types on the basis of diameter and perforation size. The collection includes 19 tiny saucers (G1), one normal small saucer (G2a), and one normal large saucer (G3). The tiny saucers show a broad temporal range and can occur during any period. The normal saucers are confined to the Middle and Middle-Late Transition in central California.

The cupped Olivella (K1) type was represented by three examples. Callus beads (Class K) are small, thick, circular beads and the cupped type is a marker for Phase 1 of the Late period in central California. This was a common type at CA-MNT-879 where 22 specimens were recovered.
Clam Shell Beads (N = 5). Five clam shell disk beads were recovered from the midden. One, the deepest bead recovered from the deposit (1748-5-47), was found in the 70-80 cm level near the base of the midden. All of the others were from depths of 50 cm or shallower. Clam shell disk beads are Late Period markers, and the deeper provenience of specimen 1748-5-47 is insignificant.

Haliotis epidermis disk (N=1). The deposit yielded one Haliotis epidermis disk. The epidermis Haliotis bead is a Late Period marker.
Steatite Beads (N =12). The steatite disk beads, recovered from above 50 cm in the midden included six gray, four black, one green–gray, and one gray-black example. The steatite beads also varied in size and included some tiny, thin, circular variants. Along the Big Sur coast, steatite beads appear relate to the Late Period and were well represented at the Dolan site (CA–MNT–1223) as well as locally at CA-MNT-879 (Haney et al. 2002).
Glass Bead (N=1) The glass trade bead was recovered from Unit 8 in the 40-50 cm level (1748-8-25). It is a compound, drawn, tumbled bead of tubular shape. It measures 3.2 mm in diameter and 3.9 mm in length and has an opaque red (Pantone 186) exterior layer and translucent blue-green (Pantone 325) interior layer. This bead is classified as Type IVa7 in the widely used Kidd and Kidd (1970) system. It can be strongly correlated with Meighan’s (1979) Type 105 and slightly larger than Ross’ (1990) Fort Vancouver Type 1038 based on computer comparisons with color slides/plates. Comparisons with beads from a wide range of California sites, particularly large collections from the Mother Lode, indicate this bead has been found almost exclusively in contexts that predate America. (Van Bueren 1983, 1991, 1997).

Type IVa7 beads were found at the third location of Mission Santa Clara (Van Bueren 1997), and based on text descriptions, they have also been found at Missions San Jose (Bone 1975: Type C6a), San Buenaventura (Gibson 1976: Type C6a) San Antonio, and San Juan Capistrano (Diaz 1993). Meighan (1979) observed that the smaller forms of this type predate 1820 and are generally associated with the Spanish mission system. However, he did not segregate size and populations and it is thus unclear which sites in his list correlate with the bead found CA-MNT-1748/H. Small Type IVa7 beads occur almost entirely before 1843 at Fort Vancouver, the principal staging area for Hudsons Bay Company fur trappers who regularly traversed the great central valley of California from the 1820’s through the 1840’s (Hoffman and Ross 1974; Ross 1976, 1990). They also were found at Fort Ross, the Russian American Company settlement on the Sonoma County coast, occupied from 1812 to 1841 (Van Bueren 1991). Larger versions of this type were common during the Gold Rush era (Van Bueren 1983).

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Summary

The vast majority of the chronometric data including radiocarbon determinations, shell, glass, and stone beads are mutually consistent and indicate that CA-MNT-1748/H was occupied during the Late Prehistoric and early post-contact eras. Six radiocarbon dates and 72 of 73 beads are fully consistent with an occupation between A.D. 1300 and 1800. Only a single G2 saucer suggests occupation slightly earlier during the Middle-Late Transition. It is likely that this type persisted until as late as A.D. 1200 so it is not unreasonable to think that initial occupation began that early—which is only a century earlier than the chronology suggested by the radiocarbon results. Six obsidian hydration readings provide a very questionable suggestion of site use during the Middle and Early periods. The bulk of the available evidence indicates, however, suggests occupation from A.D. 1200-1800 which is nearly coeval with a similar component identified at CA-MNT-1223 (the type site for the Dolan Phase on the coast) as well as nearby CA-MNT-879 (occupied A.D.1300-1700). Not surprisingly, obsidian hydration readings from the latter site were also at odds with radiocarbon findings and a substantial stone and shell bead assemblage.

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References Cited

Bone, K. J.
1975 A Preliminary Analysis of Beads from Mission San Jose, Alameda County, California. Manuscript on file, Lowie Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley.

Diaz, Christine
1993 Beads from the Cross: A Comparative analysis of Glass Bead Assemblages from Four Spanish California Missions. Senior’s Honor Thesis, Department of Anthropology, California State University, San Bernardino.

Gibson, R. O.
1979 Preliminary Inventory and Assessment of Indian Cultural Resources at Lodge Hill, Cambria, San Luis Obispo County, California. Copies available from the California Historic Resources Information System, Central Coastal Information Center, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Haney, J.W., T.L. Jones, and J. Farquhar
2002 Archaeological Evaluation of CA-MNT-879, Fort Hunter Liggett, Monterey County, California. Albion Environmental, Santa Cruz. Copies available from the California Historic Resources Information System, Northwest Information Center, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park.

Hoffman, J.J, and Lester A Ross
1974 Fort Vancouver Excavations VIII: Fur Store. Submitted to the National Park Service, Portland.

Kidd, K.E., and M.A. Kidd
1970 A Classification System for Glass Beads for the Use of Field Archaeologists. Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History No. 1. Ottawa.

Meighan,C.W. 1978 California. In Chronologies in New World Archaeology, edited by R. E. Taylor and Clement W. Meighan, pp. 223–240. Academic Press, Orlando.

Ross, Lester A.
1975 Fort Vancouver, 1829-1860: A Historical archaeological Investigation of the Goods Imported and Manufactured by the Hudson’s Bay Company. Submitted to the National Parks Service, Washington, DC.

1990 Trade Beads from Hudson’s Bay Company Fort Vancouver (1829-1860),
Vancouver, Washington. Beads 2:29-67.

Van Bueren, Thad M.
1983 Archaeological Perspectives on Central Sierra Miwok Culture Change during the Historic Period. Unpublished master’s thesis, Department of Anthropology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco.

1991 Analysis of Glass Beads Associated with the Activities of the Russian American company in California. Manuscript in the author’s possession.

1997 An Analysis of Glass Beads Recovered from the Neophyte Cemetery at Mission Santa Clara (CA-SCL-300. In Archaeological investigations at the Third Location of Mission Santa Clara de Asis: The Murguia Mission, 1781-1818 by Mark G. Hylkema. Submitted to California Department of Transportation, Oakland.