9,000 Years of Settlement in the Carrington Point Area of Santa Rosa Island, Alta California

Abstract

Systematic radiocarbon dating of coastal shell middens is a useful method for obtaining basic chronological information about archaeological sites that are threatened by coastal erosion, or for conducting reconnaissance in an area where little is known about the settlement history. This study focuses on radiocarbon dating of archaeological sites across the marine terrace adjacent to Carrington Point, Santa Rosa Island, California. This area has seen limited archaeological research compared to other portions of the island. Results suggest that settlement of this area was not constrained by known environmental or cultural patterns. When compared to other areas where similar systematic radiocarbon dating has been performed, no single factor can explain settlement decisions throughout the Northern Channel Islands. Although resource use at a single site may be heavily determined by environmental factors and regional settlement patterns are influenced by broad cultural trends, mid-scale patterns may also be contingent on historical patterns or nearby land use. Settlement of marginal areas such as the Carrington Point terrace represents a steady, consistent background to land use in more productive parts of the Northern Channel Islands.