Concrete and Metal andn Wood, oh my! Archaeology of the Recent Past on Santa Cruz Island, CA

Summary

This is a paper/report submission presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

As the largest of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California, Santa Cruz Island was home to ranching, farming, hunting, fishing and abalone diving, military activities, oil exploration, tourism, scientific inquiry, and conservation/restoration from the 1830s through the 1980s. Our work has focused on archaeologically documenting the material correlates of these activities, thereby telling the stories of those who came to the island from diverse ethnic backgrounds, professions, and circumstances. We present findings from fieldwork conducted on the National Park Service portion of Santa Cruz Island over the past three years, focusing on sites and features associated with ranching infrastructure, military activities, scientific inquiry, and tourism. These features demonstrate the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Santa Cruz Islanders, specifically highlighting the importance of freshwater resources, intra-island communications and travel, and reveal surprisingly personal details of life on the island during the recent past.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• 2020 SHA General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 880