Abalone Shell, Broken Pots, Hearths, Windbreaks and Archival Research: Clues to Identifying 19th Century California Abalone Colection and Processing Sites on the Channel Islands

Summary

The Chinese abalone and fisheries in California developed in the late 1850s, flourished, and then delcined  in the early 1900s. The majority of California Chinese studies have focused on immigrant populations in established urban Chinatowns. Much less attention has been given to economic strategies and survival mechanisms associated with rural communities, specialized labor camps, or fishing camps. Many of these industries were first developed in the West by Chinese immigrants only to be taken over by Euro-American entrepreneurs. The importance of the fishing industry (specifically abalone) is that the Chinese remaining in control of a highly valued commodity until the late 1880s, During that time they cntinued traditional fishing and cultual practices.

This presentation focuses on the highly successful trade that was developed off the California coast (Channel Islands). Despite the intensity of this industry, no comprehensive attempt has been made to document and interpret the archaeological record.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013   •
• Poster Session 1

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 517