California Prehistory: Colonization, Culture, and Complexity

by Terry L. Jones (Editor), Kathryn A. Klar (Editor)

Overview

Some forty scholars examine California's prehistory and archaeology, looking at marine and terrestrial palaeoenvironments, initial human colonization, linguistic prehistory, early forms of exchange, mitochondrial DNA studies, and rock art. This work is the most extensive study of California's prehistory undertaken in the past 20 years. An essential resource for any scholar of California prehistory and archaeology!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759113749
Publisher:	AltaMira Press
Publication date:	07/16/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	408
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Terry L. Jones is an archaeologist at California Polytechnic University, San Luis, Obispo. Kathryn A. Klar is a linguist at the University of California, Berkeley.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Archaeological Progress since 1984
Chapter 2 Late Pleistocene and Holocene Environments
Chapter 3 Post-glacial Evolution of Coastal Environments
Chapter 4 One if by Land, Two if by Sea: Who Were the First Californians?
Chapter 5 Colonization Technologies: Fluted Projectile Points and the San Clemente Island Woodworking/Microblade Complex
Chapter 6 Linguistic Prehistory
Chapter 7 Northwest California: Ancient Lifeways Among Forested Mountains, Flowing Rivers, and Rocky Ocean Shores
Chapter 8 Punctuated Culture Change in the San Francisco Bay Area
Chapter 9 The Central Coast: A Mid-Latitude Milieu
Chapter 10 The Central Valley: A View from the Catbird's Seat
Chapter 11 Models Made of Glass: A Prehistory of Northeast California
Chapter 12 The Sierra Nevada: Archaeology in the Range of Light
Chapter 13 Prehistory of the Northern California Bight and the Adjacent Transverse Ranges
Chapter 14 Prehistory of the Southern Bight: Models for a New Millennium
Chapter 15 Advances in Understanding Mojave Desert Prehistory
Chapter 16 The Colorado Desert: Ancient Adaptations to Wetlands and Wastelands
Chapter 17 Prehistoric Material Conveyance
Chapter 18 Rock Art in the Golden State: Pictographs and Petroglyphs, Portable and Panoramic
Chapter 19 Prehistoric Mitochondrial DNA and Population Movements
Chapter 20 Colonization, Culture and Complexity 21 References

Editorial Reviews

This new book is now the primary reference on the prehistory of the entire state, updating two classic 1984 volumes (Joseph Chartkoff and Kerry Kona Chartkoff, The Archaeology of California, CH, Feb'85; Michael Moratto, California Archaeology,CH, Mar'85). Since then, an abundance of new information has accumulated from contract archaeology field projects, and new methods of analysis, theoretical perspectives, and research questions have emerged. For this comprehensive review, more than 50 authors contributed chapters on their specialties. Ten chapters divide the state into geographic regions; for each, authors present detailed descriptions of the succession of cultures and particular research themes. Other chapters review paleoclimate change,linguistic prehistory, materials trade, rock art, and DNA. In the book's subtitle, Colonization refers to the origin and spread of California's earliest populations. Culture refers to continuities and relationships among prehistoric populations through space and time. Complexity refers to the elaborations that evolved among California's hunter-gatherers, including a high degree of regional differentiation, relatively dense populations, intensive economies, social ranking, and sociopolitical organiz

Choice Reviews

Editors Terry Jones. .. and Kathryn Klar. .. have done an outstanding job of assembling a vast store of information and making it readable and understandable to the non-expert. It is an essential resource for anyone interested in California archaeology and a model for other regions to emulate.

Mark Micheln Archaeology

At last, a comprehensive review of California archaeology for specialists and advanced students alike! Jones and Klar have assembled a magnificent orchestra of specialists, who provide an up-to-date, comprehensive synthesis of the subject from a multidisciplinary perspective. California Prehistory is destined to become a fundamental work for anyone wishing to delve into the complexities of California prehistory at a general and technical level. Strongly recommended to anyone with a serious interest in the early chapters of California history.

Brian Fagan

This new book is now the primary reference on the prehistory of the entire state, updating two classic 1984 volumes (Joseph Chartkoff and Kerry Kona Chartkoff, The Archaeology of California, CH, Feb'85; Michael Moratto, California Archaeology,CH, Mar'85). Since then, an abundance of new information has accumulated from contract archaeology field projects, and new methods of analysis, theoretical perspectives, and research questions have emerged. For this comprehensive review, more than 50 authors contributed chapters on their specialties. Ten chapters divide the state into geographic regions; for each, authors present detailed descriptions of the succession of cultures and particular research themes. Other chapters review paleoclimate change,linguistic prehistory, materials trade, rock art, and DNA. In the book's subtitle, Colonization refers to the origin and spread of California's earliest populations. Culture refers to continuities and relationships among prehistoric populations through space and time. Complexity refers to the elaborations that evolved among California's hunter-gatherers, including a high degree of regional differentiation, relatively dense populations, intensive economies, social ranking, and sociopolitical organiz

Choice

Editors Terry Jones. .. and Kathryn Klar. .. have done an outstanding job of assembling a vast store of information and making it readable and understandable to the non-expert. It is an essential resource for anyone interested in California archaeology and a model for other regions to emulate.

American Archaeology - Mark Michel