CA-MNT-1748/H

Cultural Chronology - Soils and Stratigraphy - Artifacts - Ecofacts

Nathan Stevens and Inne Choi , screening at CA-MNT-1748/H

CA–MNT–1748/H was first recorded during a survey of the installation’s roads, fire breaks, and tank trails (Fitzgerald and Edwards 1994). It is marked by a small, black shell midden situated near the confluence of the San Antonio River and Piñalito Creek in Training Area 1 at an elevation of 1300 feet (400 m). Surface artifacts noted at the time of the site’s discovery included a mission ware ceramic sherd and a spire-lopped Olivella bead. Unfortunately, neither of these artifacts could be relocated at the time of the 2001 field work.

CA-MNT-1748/H was investigated between June 26 and July 6, 2001 by students and faculty from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo aided by volunteers from the Archaeological Research Center, California State University, Sacramento. The field team was composed of 10 technicians, supervised by William Stillman, Field Director and Terry Jones, Principal Investigator. The field program included mapping, surface collection, and subsurface excavation. A total of 16.07 m3 of the site deposit was excavated through 1 x 2 m, 1 x 1 m units, surface transect units (STUs), and column samples.

Field Crew at Lunch: (from left) Michelle Powell, Leroy Laurie, Terry Jones, Dave Makar, Kelli Brasket, and Allyson Schwartzenberger

Excavation revealed that the deposit consists of a discrete, relatively intact midden with subsurface features and an earlier, ill-defined sub-midden component. The midden in the upper portion of the deposit yielded shell, bone, fire-affected rock, flaked stone debitage and artifacts, shell and steatite beads. Cultural materials were recovered to a depth of at least 150 cm, but the midden itself was no more than 80 cm deep. Materials below 80 cm were restricted to debitage which seemed to represent either intrusions from the midden into sterile subsoil caused by the activities of burrowing rodents or an earlier occupational component.

The tool assemblage from the midden was dominated by Desert side-notched and Canaliño/Coastal Cottonwood projectile points, Class B, E, and K Olivella beads, and steatite beads. The deposit also yielded one glass trade bead, which indicates a post-contact occupation. A number of E3 large Olivella lipped beads also corroborate a Historic-period occupation. The bulk of the material in the midden represents the Late Prehistoric/Protohistoric periods, with initial occupation during the prehistoric era that apparently continued into the early historic era.

In addition to the midden and artifacts recovered from it, the deposit produced a discrete, well-preserved house floor marked by a compact, light gray/grayish white surface at a depth of 50 cm in Units 2 and 5. A well-defined hearth or ash concentration was defined on the floor which provided an excellent macrobotanical sample. A large sample of charcoal and ash was also recovered from the floor.

The features from this site make it one of the most important resources within Fort Hunter-Liggett, and it clearly has the potential to contribute to resolution of local research questions. It is considered eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Willie Duddles and and Noah Arnold Screening	Hedger Lee excavating	Terry Jones with Dave Makar

References Cited

Fitzgerald, Richard T., and John Edwards
1994 Cultural Resources Survey of Roads, Firebreaks, and Tank Trails, Fort Hunter Liggett Military Installation, California. Prepared for U. S. Army under U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Copies available from the California Historic Resources Information System, Northwest Information Center, Sonoma State University. Rohnert Park, California.