VAFB-1997-21: Hunter-Gatherer Land Use in the San Antonio Creek Drainage Archaeological Investigations at CA-SBA-2696 Volume I

Summary

This report documents the results of archaeological investigations at CA-SBA 2696, discovered on Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) during construction of the Mission Hills and Santa Ynez Extensions of the Coastal Branch Aqueduct Project (Project). As part of Phase II of the State Water Project, the Coastal Branch pipeline delivers water from the California Aqueduct to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. The Mission Hills and Santa Ynez Extensions, a 39-in. diameter pipeline being constructed by the Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA), begin on VAFB and extend 42 mi south and east through the Santa Ynez Valley to Lake Cachuma.

CA-SBA-2696 is a stratified, multicomponent archaeological site buried beneath alluvial sediments. Well-preserved cultural materials include abundant vertebrate faunal remains, shell, archaeobotanical remains, and lithic artifacts. Subsurface probing revealed that the site encompasses roughly 78,000 m2 on the south side of the San Antonio Creek valley and extends about 600 m along the creek. This location, within ethnographically-defined Chumash territory, is in the southwestern portion of the Santa Maria basin between the Coast Ranges and the Transverse Ranges and only 7 mi (11 km) inland from the coast. The climate is Mediterranean, resulting in grassland, chaparral, scrub sage, and oak woodland plant communities. Wetland and riparian vegetation communities are found along San Antonio Creek.

Research goals center on hunter-gatherer land-use strategies, including issues related to function, resource exploitation, regional interaction, and paleoenvironments. Refining archaeological measures of chronology is also an important part of the research effort. Data recovery excavations to retrieve materials sufficient to address these issues employed twenty-six I x 1 m controlled excavation units with a volume of 30.68 m3, focused in the area of potential effects. These sediments were water screened through lI8-in. mesh. An additional 35.99 m3 was excavated manually by stratigraphic level but without screening to look for features and large artifacts that would be otherwise displaced. These excavations supplemented the 23.24 m3 excavated during testing.

Analyses of these datasets reveal that the earliest occupation was most intensive, reflecting either long-term occupation or short-term occupations over a long time period. Paleoenvironmental data, particularly the remains of riparian vegetation, suggests relatively wet conditions during this period. Occupations during the spring and summer are apparent. Large mammals were the focus of subsistence, although small animals also were important. Marine resources made only a limited dietary contribution. This component appears to reflect a specialized procurement site, with emphasis on obtaining and processing animals.

Densities of cultural materials for the second occupation are lower, suggesting less intensive use of the site. Conditions were drier, and late spring to early summer occupations are suggested. Marine resources made up higher proportions of the diet, although the proportions are still low compared to sites along the coast. Exploitation of large mammals decreased substantially during this period as the dietary emphasis shifted to lagomorphs. Overall, the faunal assemblage reflects a more generalized, opportunistic procurement strategy. A high diversity of flaked stone tool functions and emphasis on tool maintenance suggests that this component reflects a residential base camp.

The most recent occupation was the least intensive and contained the lowest densities of cultural materials. Continued drying conditions are suggested, with biseasonal (late fall as well as spring and summer) occupations apparent. Subsistence appears similar to the first component in that use of marine resources is limited. Primary butchering on-site is apparent during this period, suggesting that use of the site focused on mammal procurement. Both large and small mammals are represented. A short-term, special-use focus is suggested for this occupation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) - Cultural Resource Report

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Roscoe Loetzerich

Record Identifiers

VAFB Document Number(s): VAFB-1997-21

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