Book
Craft specialization in the prehistoric Channel Islands, California
University of California Press • 18 • Published In 1987 • Pages: xvii, 278
By: Arnold, Jeanne E..
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
Arnold explores the rise of chert microblade production as a craft specialization on Santa Cruz Island. It was a legitimate craft specialization in that a group of individuals practiced this craft to the exclusion of others, there was a standardized method of production, the group controled access to the quarry sites, and they produced microblades in excess of their own needs. These microblades were used to drill the shell beads the Chumash used as money. These changes in the microblade production also helped lead to the emergence of a simple chiefdom level of organization. At least one village, a manufacturing center for these microblades, was established during this period of change. This craft specialization's decline following the introduction of European glass beads and metal needles is also discussed. Arnold comes to these conclusions by her own field work on Santa Cruz Island and by analyzing the archaeological collections of others on Santa Cruz Island and on the mainland.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Identification
- Theoretical orientation in research and its results
- Topography and geology
- Mineral resources
- Mining and quarrying
- Lithic industries
- Commercial facilities
- General tools
- Occupational specialization
- traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Late Southern California
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2000
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- North America
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Northwest Coast and California
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Archaeologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Sarah Berry ; 1998
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1981-1985
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1150 BP - 205 BP
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Santa Cruz Island, Calif., United States
- NotesAdditional notes
- by Jeanne E. Arnold
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 261-278)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 86030821
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- California--Antiquities