81. NOTES ON EXCAVATIONS MADE IN INDIAN BURIAL PLACES

IN CARPINTERIA

Ho CO Ford

ABSTRACT

Excavations made in 1877 are reported upon in this

article, reprinted from the Report of Proceedings of
the Santa Barbara Society of Natural History, pp. 11-
19, March, 1887. Descriptions of sites virtually un-
touched by relic-hunters and of a range of artifacts
typical of the late prehistoric and early historic
Santa Barbara Channel region are presented.

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In Carpinteria, on the rancho of S. H. Olmstead, Esq., twelve miles from
the City of Santa Barbara, is, probably, the site of one of the twenty-six

villages enumerated by Cabrillo upon his voyage of discovery and visit to this
coast in 1542. Evidences of a large population having existed from a remote
period still remain in the immense deposit of shells, bones of small quadru-
peds, birds and fish'scattered over a wide areA, A hill rising perhaps one

hundred feet above, and distant from the sea one fourth of a mile, is covered
at its apex and extending down its slopes to the extent of thirty-five or

forty acres with the bleached fragments of the Chione, a bivalve that seems

to have afforded the most abundant food of the inhabitants, the deposit being
several feet in thickness in many places. This mollusk must have been much
more numerous at the period of the inhabitation of this rancheria than at

present, as but few specimens can be obtained of those now living in the adja-
cent sea, and examples are rarely met in the more recently occupied villages
nearer the water. Scattered along the bluff overlooking the ocean, between

the mouth of the Carpinteria creek and a slight ravine further down the coast,
are the "kitchen middings" of the later inhabitants of this locality. Here we
find, in mound-like elevations, vast quantities of the shells of crustaceans
similar to those living in the sea to-day, mixed with large numbers of oval
pebbles of various sizes, known as boiling stones, many of which still bear

marks of the fire in which they were heated. The broken valves of the Mytilus
californicus predominate in the deposit, yet the Tapes staminea, Pachydesma
crassatelloides  Pomaulax undosus   Trochiscus norrissii Donax californicus,

Lunatia lewisii, Luponia spadicea., Solecurtus californianus, Haliotis cracher-

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odii, and most of the living species now found in the neighboring waters are

abundant,  Fragments and chippings of chert, obsidian, jasper, quartzite, etc.,
are scattered over the surface of the entire neighborhood, and occasionally

arrow points of the same material are picked up.  The sltes of these rancher-
ias were admirably selected to meet the requirements of their denizens, being
contiguous to an abundance of fresh water in the Carpinteria creek on one side
and some springs of large violume on the other, Much of their food could be
obtained from the out ly_ing rocks, which at low tide extend far out from the
shore; and the soil in the vicinity is well adapted to the raising of corn.

Perhaps these people also had some appreclation of the beautiful, as, from the
summit of the hill may be obtained a grand view of the mountains, and the val-
ley of Carpinteria, together wlth the distant islands of Anacapa and Santa

Cruz. In the rear of the most recent rancheria, near the sea, and in front of
the higher elevation, occupied by an older population, in our opinion, was
found the burial place of the later inhabitants .  The usual indications of
sepulture, viz,, bones of the whale set perpendicularly in the soil, were

formerly found by Mr. Olmstead, and the locality remembered by him after the
bones had been scattered by the plow.  The first excavations were recently

made by Dr, Stephen Bowers and others, and many objects of interest were ob-

tained, Having received the consent of Mr,, Olmstead to continue the research-
es in the name of the Santa Barbara Soclety of Natural Hi.story, we spent sev-

eral days in prosecuting the workc. H.-uman bones were found at ftrom two to five
feet below the surface, showilng widely different periods of burial,  Those

buried in the upper strata were lying in various positions, no system having
been observed in the disposition of the body; but most of those of lower and
apparently antecedent inhu,.-rmation were found lying upon the left side, with

the knees brought up to the chin and the face towards the east,   The mortars,
ollas and other objects were always found near the head,   Some of the former
were inverted over the skulls, some were lying upon their sides, and still
others were upright.  Above th..e skeletons, and sometimes under them, were

placed broad whalebones or layers of chalky shale from one to two inches i.n
thickness, and in one instance slabs of the Sequoia sempervirens, partially
smeared wit1h. asphaltum3 were found on each side of the body, Redwood seems
to have been held in a sacred light by these people, as it is often met in

their burial p Laces, and sometimes above ground, to mark the place of sepul-
tur.,  Some of the skel etons were found without any of the usual domestic

accompaniments., others with an i nferlor or broken olla or mortar, and still
others with nothing but a Halictis shell or bit of paint,

The amount of articlles found near each body seems to indicate the wealth
or poverty of the individual, Many of the most prized objects were wrapped
in the fur of the sea otter, wel.l preserved fragments of which were often

met, We fo.und several quartz crystals in the ollas and mortars which appear
to have been valued anid depositLed simply for their beauty, In one of the

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ollas were found the fragments of a shallow basket, similar in form and con-
struction to those found in the possession of the Pueblo tribes of Arizona

today. This vessel contained a substance which appeared to be powdered corn
or acorns, with slightly crystalized particles intermixed, and evidently

once prepared for food. Large quantities of a small, black seed were placed
in or near some of the ollas or mortars, nothing but the hull of which re-

mained. This was also probably used as food.    Balls of paint, made of burnt
ochre, were occasionally found. Near one skeleton were obtained numerous
flint flakes, and among them several slender pieces of the same material,
wrought for purposes unknown, some round and others triangular in shape.

These may have been used as drills, In the same deposit were many cylindri-

cal shell ornaments, from two to three inches in length, and about one-fourth
of an inch in diameter, nearly all pierced longitudinally by some exceedingly
delicate process. These were cut evidently from the thick shell of the

Pachydesma crassatelloides, and the drilling of so minute an aperture must

have required more than ordinary skill, Several implements, made in the form
of a bodkin, with a spiral groove from head to point, from the coluumella of

the Pomaulax undosus or Siphonalia kellettii, apparently, were also found in

this deposit, These were mostly pierced in the manner of the other ornaments,
above mentioned,  Many shell beads of various sizes and forms were common, and
from a small olla were obtained about forty oblong pieces, perforated at each
end, havlng the pearly lustre of the Haliotis, and when properly strung may

have been used as a necklace, From the Olivelia biplicata they seem to have
constructed their wampum, several examples of which were found, Over several
of the crania were inverted shells of the Haliotis corrugata and Haliotis

splendens, the apertures of which were closed with asphaltum. In one case

asphaltum was found enclosed in the two valves of the Mytilus, and in another
case it was found in the shell of the Haliotis cracherodii, covered by a

Lottia gigantea,  A multitude of asphaltum ornaments were obtained from one

of the mortars, the use of which is difficult to determlne, but we conjecture
that they were attached as pendants to some portli.on of the clothing. There

are several oil springs in the neighborhood from which these aboriginal inhab-
itants probably obtained the supply of asphaltum which seemed to be applied to
so many purposes by them,

Upon the surface was found a shallow cup molded from this substance [as-

phaltum], and it was often applied as a cement in repairing thelr broken uten-
sils,  The mortars obtained were of various sizes, from the capacity of a plnt
to that of several gallons. They were mostly made from a tenacious sandstone,
some rudely constructed, and others symmetrical, as if made by rule,   Some

bear evidence of an attempt at ornamentation, the upper portion having a ser-
ies of cavli. ties about one-fourth of an inch in depth and one and one-half

inches long, fi lled with asphaltum to the general level of the rim, Whenever

one had been fractured, great pains seems to have been taken to repair it with

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asphaltum cement, showing the value of the utensil and probable labor and

difficulty of obtaining another. This burial place yielded a unique speci-
men, being a mortar constructed from fossiliferous sandstone, similar and

apparently identical with that found in the canyons of the Santa Ynez moun-
tains,  Unfortunately a portion had been lost before burial, but its rare
beauty had evidently been prized, even in its fragmentary condition. In

one of the graves we found a solid stone, beautifully rounded, and of about
the diameter of a medium sized mortar. Our conclusion was that this had

been partially finished and abandoned for some cause, perhaps on account of
a fracture that occurred in the upper portion.  There is no evidence, how-
ever, that these utensils were manufactured at this village, but they were
probably obtained and wrought in the mountalns of the Coast Range. The

pestles were of the same material as the mortars, and varied as usual in
length and size, and [were] well adapted to the pounding of corn, acorns,
or other seeds.  The ollas, or cooking pots, were manufactured from the

usual magnesian mica or steatite. The question, from what source did these
people obtain this material, still remains open, but further research will
undoubtedly locate the quarry within one hundred miles from Santa Barbara.

Deposits of steatite are found in the San Rafael Mountains and on Cata-

lina Island. At the latter place, in the quarry where the material abounds,
partially constructed ollas were found by Schumaker and others.

If the habits of these aborlgines were nomadic, the transportation of

their heavy stone utensils must have been laborious. One of the ollas which
we unearthed was sixteen inches in height and nearly the same in diameter,
and weighed nearly seventy-five pounds, and the mortars often weighed even
more,  The larger olla has a very small aperture, and like most of the

others, the thickness increases towards the bottom. A somewhat smaller one
has a much wider mouth, and is ornamented below the rim with markings in

the form of a chevron. Another is low and flat in proportion to 'its height,
and also has a broad opening, Both the latter had been fractured, and

mended in an ingenious manner, by perforations on each side of the fracture,
joined on both the inner and outer surfaces by a groove in which was found
asphaltum cement, probably covering a decayed cord of sinew or other tying
material, A small olla differed from the usual pattern by having a form

similar to a comnon mortar. Schumaker says that domestic articles deposited
with the dead were rarely broken, and when so, the breakage was caused by
the pressure of the soil. Our observation leads us to a different conclu-
sion, as we did not find an instance in which the damage appeared to have

occurred subsequent to the burial, a fact that might, however, be attributed
to the lightness of the soil in this locality,  The tortilla stones, made

also of steatite, were of the usual structure, with or without a line along

the outer margin. Most of these, together with the ollas, bear marks of fire.

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No metates were found, but a fine implement used as the accompanying cru.sher,
was obtained, its length being about two feet, diameter three inches, with
tapering ends,

The crania of these people exhibit various degrees of intelligence) but

the aggregate seemed to indicate a higher order than is found among the pres-
ent race of aborigines. The teeth were almost invariably sound, but the

majority were much worn, showing the advanced age of the individual, The

skeletons found near the surface were in a fair degree of preservation, while
those in the lower strata were badly disintegrated, and fell to dust on ex-
posure to the atmosphere.

To us, the most interesting utensils exhumed were two rudely molded vres-

sels of pottery, one about five inches in diameter and four inches in height,
and the other about double the size.  Both are without ornamentation. They
appear to have been used over a fire. Fragments of pottery had been pre-

viously picked up on the surface in this locality, but so far as we ascertain,
these are the only perfect specimens that have been secured in this countyb
The arrow points were not numerous, yet a variety of forms were represented

and broken specimens were common. A flake of selenite among the nu-mber seems
to have been of too soft a material for their uses, for iLt bears marks of an
endeavor to fashion it into an arrow point and an evident faillure.  A f rag-
ment of a square green glass bottle was observed, and near :it was a finely

finished arrow point with serrated edges, made from the same material0O Large
quantities of glass beads, of varied slze, form, and color, showed a traffic

with the early Spanish adventurers, or the later Jesuit misslonarli.es, and the
lower half of a common pint bottle, oxydi.zed remnants of steel knives and
other iron trinkets, together with a brass ring, bear the same testimony.
Previous to our excavations, parties obtained from the same burial place

several ollas, mortars, two pipes, a metallic cup and other objects, some or

which will come into the possession of our Society of Natural. History   Exca-.
vations were also made on an elevation nearer the point where the Carpi.nteria
creek enters the sea. Human bones were found, but no objects of interest

were secured.  We are inclined to the belief that a much more extensive blrI-
al place exists in the immediate neighborhood of the higher elevatio;n before
mentioned, that must have been used by the earlier populati'on occupying it,
but thus far we have been unable to detect the locality, the plow having
obliterated all evidence.  Near this hill, on the bank of the neighboring

creek, is a vertical section cut by the washing of the water, showing a de-
posit of shells usually found in the older rancherias, ten or twelve feet.

below the surface, over which a stratum of sand and yellowish soll. has accum.-
ulated, either by flood or drifting, and above this a more recent deposit oa
shells and soil, dark with vegetable matter,  The lower accumulation woulJ0d
indicate the human occupancy of this locality at a very remote period, and

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again at a comparatively recent day. Mention of this deposit has been made

by Dr. Stephen Bowers, and he concurs with us in opinion as to its great age.

The neighborhood still affords a rich field for the archaeologist, and patient
investigation may yet give us many interesting facts connected with the daily
life, customs and religion of the race that occupied these shores and enjoyed
the delicious clim"ate and charm ing scenery that has fallen such a pleasant
heritage to us.

82.  OBSERVATIONS I,ADE IN THE RUINS OF THE VILLAGES

OF THE ORIGIINAL INHABITANTS OF THE

PACIF IC COAST OF NORTH A1ERICA

Paul Schumacher

ABSTRACT

This article is reprinted in translation from the

Mitthci lungen der Anthropologischen Gesells -haft in
Wien, Vol. 7, pp.6 287-93, Vienna, 1376.  it was sub-
mitted by the author from San Francisco. California,

duringy the same year as its publicatilon.  Schumacher's
observca tions  mostly concern the characteristics

(formatiorL composition, use as burial places) of the
shell heaps of the Santa Barbcara coast-al regxon, al-

tho-uah examples of sites from Oreaon are also included.

* -  J;             4,    J.,

The hills of mussel shells along tlis coast mark the ruins of villages
of the original inhabitants.  An exception to this is found only where the
collections of mussels are in places where edible inussels were found in

abundance and thus were visited from time to time.   The mussels were freed
from their shells at these tempor"ary campsites to make their transportation
to the permanent home easier, Thus these mounds of shells were built up

through the centuries by means of countless meals consumed at these places.
We do not find signs of the existence of huts at these temporary campsites.
There are no pieces of flint and nothing which points to the manufacture of

weapons and uteinsils.  We find only cobbles in small piles which, with ashes
and charcoal, give clear evidence that these used to be fireplaces.    It is
remarkable that the shells found at the temporary campsites are only of

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