Masters Thesis

Giving voice to Juana María’s people : the organization of shell and exotic stone artifact production and trade at a Late Holocene village on San Nicolas Island, California

At the time of European contact, the southern California mainland coast and Channel Islands were occupied by a variety of Native groups that were socially complex and steeped in rich cultural traditions. Archaeological evidence found on San Nicolas Island, the most geographically isolated of the Channel Islands, offers a unique opportunity to examine past human daily practices and underlying social organization and world-views. This thesis focuses on the archaeological record at CA-SN-25, a village occupied intensely between approximately A.D. 1300 and A.D. 1800. Analysis of shell and exotic stone artifacts indicates a variety of domestic and ceremonial activities occurred at the site. Comparisons of CA-SNI-25 to other sites on San Nicolas and the Channel Islands suggest the villagers were intricately connected to other groups through family ties, exchange interactions, and socio-ritualistic activities. In all, this thesis illustrates the importance of archaeological investigations as a tool to enhance our understanding of daily practices, social and spiritual organization, and regional interactions of the Native people of San Nicolas Island.

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