49. Analysis of Refuse Midden Material from Site Ven462

S0 F. Cook

I was able to secure from the Museum of Anthropology, Berkeley, a
series of random matrix samples from site Ven-62, originally secured in
1928 by Prof. Ronald Olson, from a site designated by him as ttSite 1021

(Olson, 1930).  The samples were taken froza successive levels In one exca-va-
tion pit (Pit A) and extended to a depth of approximately 12 feet. Each
sample consisted of a random volume of soil packed in a cigar bcox. Since

the total mrass of the mound i s unknown and no attempt was made to secure a
constant volume of material, a physical analysis can merely express certain
constituents as a percentage by weight of the samples at hand.

As is customary the rock, bone, shell and charcoal were sorted out.
of each sample and weighed. The data are given as follows:

Level in    Per cent Per cent    ecr cenT  re cent
S.r                                       bone      shell   charcoal

34 2 $             1          .12o51     1o04      7o.3    0O.110
314260             2           0090      0.36      8.92    0oo59
34,.261            3           1 o 90   o044      .12.24 o 2 o

34^26 2            4           0o87      0.35     10o3     0J < i;
34263              5           4.o62     0.20     13.32    c .A
3b265              6                   Not. det.emined

34266              7           3o20,     0.13     1o048     o 08
34267              8           5e24     o0O4      13.03    0o, .c),

34268              9           18 8      0.12      1o.73   0o133
34222-             9-1/2       2.02      1.44      5.59    o00ao
34269             10           8o27      0.75      6.o 74  o . oL
34270             11           0.88      0.51      8.04    00000
34271             12           0.62      0.091     3.73    0.039
34272             12           1.01      0o22      6 .04, )  0 Q000
34320             2?              7      o.o6      2.71
34322                          5.67      0.87      7.86

Mean

3o.6

0.0 0

8.o8 '  c.' r6

A few comments may be offered with reference to the results.

1. In so far as Pit A is concerned, there is noe obvious        lctvatifi?
tion. The occurrence of the components varies in atr inceonsistert ar~d
probably random fashion from top to bottom.

2. The shell Is almost exclusively from the Pisrwo clan.m  a ro1iuc

whichl was eaten extensively A.ong the Santa Barbara channel.   ce the ehhl1

440-

of this animal is very thick and heavy as compared with the common mussel,
the high percentage by weight may not be a true index to its nutritional
significance.

3. The findings conform within reasonable limits to those obtained
by Cook and Treganza (1950) with sites near Santa Barbara. For rock and

shell Ven-62 lies in a pos ition intermediate between SBa-53 and SBa-81 and
exceeds these two sites somewhat with respect to quantity of bone and

charcoal. Considering the high level of variability the correspondence is
really close. Since the Santa Barbara sites are of a relatively recent

culture period it is legitimate to infer that a similar culture obtairned
at the Ventura site, or at least that the subsistence environment was
essentially the same.

Bibliography

Cook, S. F., and A. E. Treganza

1950 The Quantitative Investigation of Indian Mounds. University of

California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology,
Vol, 40, pp. 223-262.
Olson, R. L.

1930  Chumash Prehistory.  Uni'versi'ty of Califomria Publ ications in

American Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 28, pp. 1-21.

.41