Assessing the Use of Lithic Artifacts in the Manufacture of Fiber Technolgies at Cach Cave

Summary

Cache Cave exhibits one of the most significant in situ assemblages of

basketry and cordage recorded within the Chumash culture area. The

abundance and quality of the unique items preserved in this cave

system attest that caching served as one important aspect of site

function. The presence of utilitarian lithic artifacts, identified

during excavations at the cave in 2012 and 2014, suggest that this

site may have served additional functions throughout the duration of

its use. The association of these lithics with fibrous technologies

such as cordage, nets, and baskets suggests the cave may have

functioned as a locale for textile manufacture. To determine if Cache

Cave was a loci for the manufacturing of fibrous materials, we

compared the results of a lithic microwear analysis with

experimentally replicated wear patterns of plant processing to

determine how the lithic artifacts from this assemblage were used.

This paper presents the preliminary results of these analyses with the

intention of enhancing our understanding of how Cache Cave was

utilized by the local Chumash community in the past.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Cache Cave in Context: Unveiling New Discoveries in South Central California

Keywords

Spatial Coverage