CA-MNT-1918
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Artifacts
The flaked stone assemblage contained a total of 12,730 items, including 23 cores, 59 bifaces, 37 projectile points, 2 drills, 1 reamer, 1 flake tool, and 12,607 pieces of debitage. All cores and artifacts were analyzed while the debitage was sampled.
Cores
All cores are made from Monterey chert and reflect use of the cobbles that occur adjacent to and within the site boundaries of CA-MNT-1918. In some cases the morphology of the specimens clearly reflects the shape of the chert nodules found at this location, which were rounded and angular pebbles and cobbles ranging from 5 to 25 cm in diameter. Seven cores are in fact angular cobbles, while one was classified simply as a cobble. Other cores showed morphologies indicating that they were large pieces of debitage probably derive from angular cobbles that are, in turn, reduced. These include five interior chunks, four pieces of interior shatter, three pieces of cortical shatter, two interior flakes, and one large cortical flake. Fourteen specimens show multi-directional flake removal, while eight showed bifacial reduction and one was unidirectional. The specimens range in maximum dimension from 44.6 to 122.7 mm, and in weight from 43.0 to 515.0 g. The cores do not show any obvious signs of heat treatment.
Bifaces
All 59 bifaces are made of chert; 58 of local Monterey chert and one fragment (specimen 10-15) of Franciscan chert. All five stages are represented although the stage 5 examples were all projectile points and are discussed separately below. The collection shows a slight emphasis on the 2nd and 3rd stages of reduction with 8 stage 1, 25 stage 2, 14 stage 3, 7 stage 4, and 5 indeterminate fragments. The majority (52 or 91.2%) are fragments, including 36 end fragments, 9 margins, 4 midsections, and 3 tips. Seven specimens are complete or nearly complete. Six are highly lustrous or show differential luster indicative of heat treatment.
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| Bifaces from CA-MNT-1918. |
Projectile Points
The 37 projectile points represent the most abundant formal artifact class. Four types are represented: contracting-stemmed (N = 17), large side-notched (N = 7), Rossi square-stemmed (N = 1), and lanceolate (N = 1). Eleven are indeterminate with respect to type. Five specimens are Franciscan chert (13.5%), and the remainder are Monterey chert.
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| Contracting Stemmed Projectile Points from CA-MNT-1918 |
Contracting-stemmed. Contracting-stemmed points are by far the most abundant type recovered, with 17 examples. Four are Franciscan chert and the rest are Monterey chert. Seven are complete or nearly complete, eight are basal fragments, one is a tip fragment and the other is a midsection. The large representation of this type is typical of Middle Period deposits on the central coast, many of which produce numerous examples of this type (e.g., CA-MNT-521, CA-MNT-282, CA-SLO-175, CA-SLO-179, and CA-SLO-267). The type is not restricted to the Middle Period, however; and many examples have been recovered from Early Period contexts at sites like CA-MNT-391 and CA-MNT-1228. Additional examples were recovered from a clear Middle/Late Transition context at CA-MNT-1233.
Large Side-notched. With seven examples, this is the second most abundant projectile point type (Table A-6, Figure 31). Recent findings indicate that side-notched points have significant antiquity on the central coast, appearing as early as 8000 B.C. at the Cross Creek site (CA-SLO-1797) (Fitzgerald 1998) and at Diablo Canyon (Greenwood 1972) and ca. 4000 B.C. at CA-SLO-1796 (Fitzgerald 1997). Examples from CA-MNT-73, CA-MNT-391, and CA-SLO-175 however, suggest that the type persisted into the Early Period (ca. 3500–600 B.C.). The type was represented locally in small numbers at CA-MNT-569 and CA-MNT-521. One example (Specimen 8-26) exhibits a bifurcated base similar to points that are occasionally referred to as the Jalama side-notched (Lathrap and Hoover 1975). At CA-SLO-175 a similar example was recovered from a context dating ca. 3000 B.C. This type was absent from both the single-component Middle Period expressions at CA-MNT-282 and CA-SLO-267, and they are clear markers of the period pre-1000 B.C. At CA-MNT-1918, they are a strong indication that the site was occupied during the Early Period.
Rossi Square-stemmed. Only one example of the Rossi square-stemmed
type was recovered: specimen 9-18 from the 30-40 cm level of Unit 9. While there
was once some uncertainty about the age of this type (see discussion by Haney
et al. 2002), findings from CA-SLO-267 (Jones and Ferneau 2002) on the coast
suggest strongly that this type is a reliable marker of the Early Period.
Lanceolate. One large, complete example of the lanceolate type (specimen 6-15) was recovered from the 30–40 cm level of Unit 6. It was manufactured from Monterey chert. Lanceolate points are not common on the central coast, and their dating is unclear. The current example is unusually robust with a maximum width of 30 mm and maximum length of 69.7 mm. It weighs 26 g. A lanceolate point was recovered from a pre–3500 B.C. context at CA-MNT-1232/H on the Big Sur coast, while within FHL a shouldered lanceolate was recovered from CA-MNT-519. Examples most similar to the current specimen were recovered from CA-MNT-256 (Jones et al. 1989) which was occupied during the Early Period in Big Sur.
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| Projectile Points from CA-MNT-1918 | Lanceolate Point from CA-MNT-1918 |
Immunological Analysis.
by Robert E. Parr, RPA
Twenty-one projectile points and one biface were subjected to immunological analyses to identify possible prey residues. The specimens included 13 contracting-stemmed, 6 large side-notched, 1 Rossi Square-stemmed, and 1 lanceolate point. Only four specimens produced positive results, all for dog/coyote. Three of the positives were from contracting-stemmed examples while the fourth was from the Rossi square-stemmed point. This finding raises some suspicion about the validity of this type of analysis as it would seem likely that these signatures in the soil may the result of dogs or coyotes urinating in the site area either prehistorically or during more recent times.
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| Drills and Reamers from CA-MNT-1918 |
Drills and Reamer
Two implements with elongated, narrow, bifacial blades (bits) were classified as drills, although on one specimen (2-05) the bit was broken. Specimen 6-17 was the most complete of the two drills. Recovered from the 30-40 cm level of unit 6, it shows a well-defined bifacial drill bit. Specimen 5-02, classified as a reamer, is more robust with a less well made bit, and seems better suited to punching rather than drilling.
Debitage
A total of 12,607 pieces of debitage was recovered. Monterey chert dominated the collection (99.3%). Obsidian was represented only by two flakes. (<0.1%). Debitage from Units 1, 2, 6, 7, and 8 was analyzed, with flakes assigned to the morphological types defined at the beginning of this chapter. Units 1, 2, 6, and 8, however, were processed with 6 mm (1/4 inch) mesh. Only Unit 7, specifically designated as a debitage sampling unit, was processed with 3 mm (1/8 inch) mesh.
A total of 3165 flakes was recovered from Units 1, 2, 6, and 8. Of these only eight flakes were Franciscan chert and the vast majority are locally occurring Monterey chert. A total of 1490 flakes are diagnostic, with the remainder consisting of shatter, indeterminate percussion, and indeterminate flakes. Among the Monterey chert, the diagnostic debitage in this larger mesh sample was dominated by core/flake debris (86.3%) with biface-related debris accounting for 13.7%. The diagnostic Franciscan chert debitage was limited to three specimens.
A Debitage finding from Unit 7, a 1.0 x 1.0 m unit excavated to 80 cm and screened with 3.0 mm mesh, has more meaningful results. The unit produced a total of 1733 flakes, of which 121 are Franciscan chert and 1611 are Monterey chert. One flake is obsidian. Overall flake density for this unit is 2166/m3. Applying this figure to the total excavation volume of 9.852 m3 suggests that 21,339 pieces of debitage would have been recovered from the site had 3 mm mesh been used exclusively. While debitage density was high, it was lower than other Hunting Culture occupations within FHL such as at CA-MNT-332, where 3 mm mesh yielded 5,963 flakes/m3 and CA-MNT-521 (4,478/m3).
Nondiagnostic flakes, primarily indeterminate fragments, account for the majority of the Monterey chert debitage from Unit 7 (N = 1103). The remaining 508 flakes are dominated by core-related debitage (N = 407; 80.2%) over biface reduction debris (N = 101; 19.9%). The extrapolated debitage total of 21,339 flakes of Monterey chert compared to the 90 Monterey chert bifaces (including projectile points) yields a biface:flake ratio of 237:1. This figure is similar to one of 236:1 associated with stage 2–5 reduction in a replication experiment with Monterey chert. It is also generally consistent with the distribution of stages in the biface collection.
Flake Tool
The single flake tool from the site was made of Monterey chert and is from the 20-30 cm level of Unit 9. This implement represents an informal, edge-modified flake. The low frequency of flake tools is generally consistent with other Hunting Culture assemblages that show an emphasis on biface technology.
Technological Summary
The flaked stone debitage and artifacts are mutually concordant with respect to the types of stone reduction activities they reflect. The frequency and morphology of cores indicate that site inhabitants were exploiting Monterey chert cobbles in the immediate site vicinity, first to reduce them into large flakes and then modify them further through staged reduction into projectile points. Based on the extremely low flake-to-biface ratios, Franciscan chert and obsidian arrived at the site strictly in the form of complete tools that had been manufactured elsewhere. At CA-MNT-1918, these tools were reworked and/or resharpened. The vast majority of tool production and stoneworking involved Monterey chert, obtained from the source adjacent to the site. The Monterey chert debitage density was 2166 flakes/m3, which is a relatively high figure, but still lower than those from other Hunting Culture sites within FHL, such as CA-MNT-332 (5,963 flakes/m3) and CA-MNT-521 (4,478/m3). Given that CA-MNT-1918 is associated with a source of chert cobbles, the lower debitage density is interesting. It suggests that chert is so ubiquitous within FHL that source locations did not necessarily promote intensive quarry exploitation at any one location. The chert adjacent to CA-MNT-1918 was used heavily, but it did not result in a massive accumulation of debitage. Furthermore, the biface:flake ratio of 237:1 suggested an emphasis on stage 2–5 reduction which is reflected in the recovery of only 8 stage 1 bifaces, but 25 stage 2, 14 stage 3, 7 stage 4, and 42 stage 5 bifaces.
Debitage frequencies, however, showed approximately an 80% emphasis on core/flake
over biface reduction. Since the formal tool assemblage shows an exclusive reliance
on bifacial implements, this can be taken as a reflection of quarrying activity
(e.g., the initial reduction of angular cobbles that occur adjacent to the site).
CA-MNT-1918 appears to have been a location where both angular chert cobbles
and flake blanks were reduced into projectile points. The recovery of both complete
and broken projectile points further suggests both initial manufacture and retooling/discard
of broken implements. In other words all stages of reduction were pursued at
this location.
The groundstone collection from CA-MNT-1918 was limited in quantity and diversity. It included five handstones, and one hammerstone.
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| Handstones from CA-MNT-1918 |
Handstones
Handstones (N=5) are the single largest class of ground stone artifacts at this location. Only one specimen (2-17) was complete, while the balance were fragments—many of which were thermally affected. The complete specimen is 97.5 mm in length, 86.5mm in width, 63.3 mm thick and weighs 767.0 g. Four of the specimens were sandstone and the other (6-23) is made of granite. All of these artifacts essentially represent hand-sized, oval-shaped cobbles (Figure 40). The one complete specimen is bifacial and partially shaped with a distinct shoulder between the working faces and edges on approximately half of the artifact. The other specimens exhibit only a single grinding face. These handstones are very similar to examples from Hunting Culture components at CA-MNT-521 and –569. They are relatively informal and are less well made than handstones found at Milling Stone occupations, which generally exhibit more shaping and signs of more intensive use.
Hammerstone
CA-MNT-1918 yielded one whole hammerstone (specimen 1-06) which was recovered from the 10-20 cm level of Unit 1. This tool shows well-delineated areas of battering on opposing ends which created an appearance of faceting. Similar faceted hammerstones were reported from the Big Sur coast. The tool is made of sandstone and its overall wear morphology (pattern of battering) is consistent with implements used for percussion flaking. Similar hammerstones were recovered from CA-MNT-519, CA-MNT-521 and CA-MNT-569 within FHL.
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| Hammerstone from CA-MNT-1918 |
References Cited
Jones, T.L., and J. Ferneau
2002 Deintensification Along the Central California Coast. In Cultural Complexity
Along the California Coast: The Late Holocene, edited by Jon Erlandson and Terry
Jones, University of California, Los Angeles Institute of Archaeology.
Jones, T. L., S. Anderson, M. Brown, A. Garsia, K. Hildebrand,
and A. York
1989 Surface Archaeology at Landels–Hill Big Creek Reserve and the Gamboa
Point Properties. University of California Santa Cruz Environmental Field Program
No. 18. Copies available from the California Historic Resources Information
System, Northwest Information Center, Sonoma State University. Rohnert Park,
California.