Outcrops, Toolstone Distribution, and Source Profiles of Chert Quarries on Santa Cruz Island, CA

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In this poster, we synthesize the body of previous and continuing research of chert quarries on the East End and Isthmus of Santa Cruz Island, CA since 1985. Santa Cruz Island chert quarries have been integral to interpretations of craft specialization, the development of social complexity, and material conveyance among peoples on the Northern Channel Islands and adjacent mainland throughout the Holocene. Systematic surveys of the East End and adjacent Montañon region have resulted in the documentation of 26 chert quarries , and we have identified previously undocumented chert quarries and material sources during recent backcountry surveys in the Isthmus region. Recorded chert outcrops East of the Isthmus are typically located at geologic contacts between the Monterey and Volcanic formations where volcanic uplift has made them accessible from Montañon Ridge. On the Isthmus chert outcrops are present along ridgelines, and chert nodules are present in deep canyons and drainages. Pilot studies for chert provenance methods have been conducted with pXRF and LA-TOF-ICP-MS on some chert quarries on Eastern Santa Cruz Island with preliminary success. This synthesis provides a baseline for future research into exchange, intensification, material accessibility, quality, and provenance regarding chert quarries on Santa Cruz Island.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37382.0