Abstract

This report represents the findings of archaeological investigations at CA-LAS-345, a prehistoric and historic site located on Pine Creek in the Eagle Lake Basin, Lassen County, California. The prehistoric component of the site was most intensively occupied during the Middle and Late Archaic Periods (3,500 and 600 years Before Present). The site functioned as a long-term seasonal encampment used to hunt deer and take advantage of the seasonal spawning migration of Eagle Lake Trout in Pine Creek and was probably occupied during the spring and summer months. The site’s location, at an elevation above 5,140 feet, may have been the reason it never developed into a residential site (i.e. village) like sites in the lower elevations. The historic component of the site represents some of the earliest evidence of Euro-American occupation in the Eagle Lake Basin. The Dow Cabin, located on Pine Creek, is cited as first historic settlement in the basin. Archaeological evidence indicates both residential and ranching activities were important to these early settlers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction.......................................................................................................... 1

II. Project Setting and Background............................................................ 7

Environmental Context.................................................................................................... 7

Physical Setting of the Eagle Lake Basin..................................................................... 7

Local Flora and Fauna.................................................................................................. 7

Paleoenvironment............................................................................................................ 9

Archaeological Context.................................................................................................. 10

Taxonomic Schemes................................................................................................... 10

Early Holocene (7000+ B.P.)................................................................................ 10

Post-Mazama (7000-5000 B.P.)........................................................................... 11

Early Archaic (5000-3500 B.P.)............................................................................ 11

Middle Archaic (3500-1300 B.P.)......................................................................... 11

Late Archaic (1300-600 B.P.)................................................................................ 12

Terminal Prehistoric (600 B.P. – Contact)............................................................ 13

Archaeological Research in the Eagle Lake Basin...................................................... 13

Previous Archaeological Investigations at CA-LAS-345........................................... 15

Ethnographic Context.................................................................................................... 16

Political Culture and Leadership................................................................................ 17

Political Culture: Governance, Crimes and Torts...................................................... 19

Wealth........................................................................................................................ 19

Settlement Patterns and Structures............................................................................ 19

Social Culture and Kinship........................................................................................ 20

Economic and Subsistence Activity.......................................................................... 20

Religion, Mythology, and Cosmology...................................................................... 22

Historic Context............................................................................................................ 23

III. Research Approach......................................................................................... 25

Introduction................................................................................................................... 25

Prehistoric Research Domains....................................................................................... 25

Research Issue 1: Cultural Chronology..................................................................... 25

Background Cultural Chronology.......................................................................... 25

Research Objective Cultural Chronology.............................................................. 25

Data Needs Cultural Chronology.......................................................................... 25

Research Issue 2: Subsistence Strategy..................................................................... 25

Background Subsistence Strategy.......................................................................... 25

Research Objective Subsistence Strategy.............................................................. 25

Data Needs Subsistence Strategy.......................................................................... 25

Research Issue 3: Settlement System........................................................................ 25

Background Settlement System............................................................................. 25

Research Objective Settlement System................................................................. 25

Data Needs Settlement System............................................................................. 25

Research Issue 4: Trade and Exchange....................................................................... 25

Background Trade and Exchange........................................................................... 25

Research Objective Trade and Exchange................................................................ 25

Data Needs Trade and Exchange............................................................................ 25

IV. Field Methods.................................................................................................... 25

Site Mapping and Surface Collection............................................................................ 25

Controlled Hand Excavation.......................................................................................... 25

V. Laboratory Methods..................................................................................... 25

Artifact Catalog and Permanent Curation Preparations................................................ 25

Analytical Studies.......................................................................................................... 25

Flaked Stone Analysis............................................................................................... 25

Debitage................................................................................................................. 25

Simple Flake Tools................................................................................................ 25

Formed Flake Tools............................................................................................... 25

Cores...................................................................................................................... 25

Bifaces................................................................................................................... 25

Projectile Points..................................................................................................... 25

Ground Stone Analysis............................................................................................. 25

Radiocarbon Dating................................................................................................... 25

Obsidian Hydration Dating....................................................................................... 25

Obsidian Source Determination................................................................................. 25

Macrobotanical.......................................................................................................... 25

Faunal Analysis......................................................................................................... 25

Historic Artifact Identification and Classification..................................................... 25

VI. Site Report CA-LAS-345.................................................................................... 25

Flaked Stone.................................................................................................................. 25

Debitage..................................................................................................................... 25

Excavation Unit 4 - Locus A................................................................................. 25

EU4 Obsidian.................................................................................................... 25

EU4 Chert.......................................................................................................... 25

Excavation Unit 19 – Locus B............................................................................... 25

EU19 Obsidian.................................................................................................. 25

EU19 Basalt....................................................................................................... 25

EU19 Chert........................................................................................................ 25

Excavation Unit 10 and 10.5 – Locus C................................................................ 25

EU10 and EU10.5 Obsidian.............................................................................. 25

EU10 and EU10.5 Basalt................................................................................... 25

EU10 and EU10.5 Chert.................................................................................... 25

Comparison of Lithic Technology by Material Class Among Analytical Units....... 25

Projectile Points