Research in Study Areas

Five landscape zones on Camp Pendleton (Figure 3.1, Table 3.1) were designed for this thesis based on major topographic features and the presence of clusters of dated sites. These analytical units include Red Beach, the Las Pulgas Corridor, the Santa Margarita and Pilgrim Creek and Case Springs Uplands, and San Mateo Creek. These study units were selected because they provide a heuristic device for controlling the data and represent a cross-section of the type of sites, environmental and resources available along the northern San Diego County coast. The large open inland area between the Las Pulgas study unit and Case Springs and San Mateo Study

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Units was not available for study due to it being a live-fire impact area to which access is restricted due to safety concerns.

The Red Beach area of Camp Pendleton includes a broad sandy beach, the Las Flores Creek and Estuary, and coastal margin. Eighteen sites are within the Red Beach vicinity. Research was nearly non-existent here until the mid- 1990s. Since then 10 sites have been excavated, with the bulk of the studies on sites CA-SDI-811, 821/H,

10726, 10728, and 15254. Extensive radiocarbon dating has shown this area to have been used from the end of the Early Holocene through to the Late Holocene. Byrd, in a research context of the Red Beach/Lower Las Flores Creek, has shown Red Beach to have had large residential bases (Ca-SDI- 15254 and 10728) dating from the Early to Middle Holocene (Byrd 2004:15). He indicates that intensive occupation has taken place in the Las Flores Creek valley floor (CA-SDI-811, 4536, 10726, 10723, 10731) dating from the Middle Holocene. This matches the finding by Becker and Hale at CA-SDI- 10723. Terminal Holocene use of the area is seen at CA-SDI-812/H where ―the results of these archaeological investigations reveal intensification in the exploitation of littoral resources, both of terrestrial and marine origin, marking the sequence of prehistoric occupation along the Lower Las Flores Creek‖ (Becker and Hale 2004:21). Reddy in 1999 test-excavated 21 limited activity and dinner camps within the coastal margin generally away from the area of Red Beach. She reported that the majority of the small sites had limited subsurface material and integrity. Radiocarbon dates recovered from 12 sites, with the exception of CA-SDI-14522 and 14494, post-date 700 B.P. Those two sites are Late Holocene in age and predate 900 B.P. Information recovered from the excavation of the 21 sites revealed low densities of artifacts with the majority of the items recovered to be marine shellfish, primarily Donax gouldii (Reddy 1999).

In 1997 Reddy tested 12 sites in the Case Springs area. She found that the sites exhibited evidence of regular return demonstrating regular return to the

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sites from people living in the lowland/coastal area (Reddy 1997). ―One pattern that is clearly indicative of population movement between the lowlands and Case Springs highlands is the presence of high frequencies of Piedra de Lumbre chert at the Case Springs sites‖ (Reddy 1997:263). The seven dated sites were all late Holocene and according to Reddy the dates were internally consistent (Reddy 1997).

York (2000) excavated two sites in the Las Pulgas Creek drainage and arrived at similar findings as those of Reddy. The sites were repeatedly occupied post 650 B.P. Hale and Becker (2006) test excavated 24 sites within the Las Pulgas Creek area starting at CA-SDI-812/H, and CA-SDI-10723 while at Red Beach was included within this study. The project extended to sites in the uplands part of the Las Pulgas Creek watershed. Only four of the sites contained datable material. Two of the dates from CA-SDI-10723 were Early Holocene in age. This site is on a knoll just overlooking Red Beach and is nearly adjacent to the ocean. All the rest of the dates were from the Late Holocene, and only one of these did not date to post 640 B.P. Becker and Hale point to CA-SDI-10723 during the Late Holocene as being an intensely- occupied residential site. They indicated (2006:493) that other than the residential areas and campsite, the typical sites exhibit sparse or absent subsurface materials. They state the sites fit a general pattern with the overall settlement strategy being generalized and flexible indicating ―movement between long-term residential sites on the coast to short-term residential sites in the interior during the Late Prehistoric period‖ (Becker and Hale 2006:493). They believe the movement was frequent. In 2008 Cheever, Moffitt and Moffitt excavated a large, complex site (CA-SDI-14631) at Aliso Canyon within the area of Las Pulgas Creek. The site was occupied very late in the Late Holocene. Radiocarbon dates from carbon residue of two potsherds, marine shell and charcoal place use of the site after 500 B.P. It was made up of bedrock milling areas, relatively deep midden soil, and ceremonial uses with the presence of a cupule stone. Cheever et.al. (2008) reported a wide variety of artifacts from debitage, projectile points, beads, ceramic vessels, ground stone, ceremonial items such as ceramic pipes and quartz crystal. Shell fish

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remains were abundant, although the site is over 10 km from the ocean, with

Donax gouldii being most prevalent. They indicate the site is a dinner camp

demonstrating a mixed subsistence strategy.

In 2004 Reddy reported on the excavation of CA-SDI-4466 located on a terrace overlooking the Santa Margarita River. According to Reddy the radiocarbon dates suggested two periods of occupation, Archaic (7500 B.P. – 7255 B.P. and 4250 B.P. – 3835 B.P. ) and Late Prehistoric post 500 B.P. She determined the site CA-SDI-4416 was extensive containing a wide range of cultural material. It was occupied intermittently over a 7,000 year period by hunter-gathers seasonally for an undetermined series of years (Reddy 2004:169). Byrd in 2006 carried out excavation and evaluation of a site and area in the Ysidora Basin within the Santa Margarita River Basin. The geomorphological coring element provided a 10,000 year history of a post- glacial marine transgression and regression in the basin. Byrd indicated the site, CA-SDI-13939 represented a ―typical‖ short-term Late Holocene encampment surrounding the Santa Margarita River valley after it became a floodplain. York (2005) in a research context for the Santa Margarita River valley indicates the archaeological record in the valley spans much of the Holocene (York 2005:66). ―The data suggests that early and middle Archaic settlement featured residential moves between resource patches around the coastal lagoons and some distance up the major drainages … within the study area, settlement appears to have continued to be centered primarily on the lower course of the river‖ (York 2005:66). The Late Holocene occupation identified as the San Luis Rey I (950 B.P. to 200 B.P.) appeared to be more ephemeral with no major habitations from this period recorded. York indicates that the ―sudden appearance of the major habitation area at CA-SDI- 10156/12599/H during the 17th century appears consistent with the kind of San Luis Rey II [200 B.P. to 100 B.P.] consolidation proposed by True and Waugh [1982] for the upper San Luis Rey River.‖ York indicates the elements of the sites from this period point to an inland focus (2005).

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Byrd, Pallette and Serr test excavated six sites in the San Mateo/San Onofre Creek area. Three of the sites CA-SDI-1074, 4411 and 13325 yielded datable materials. CA-SDI-13325 exhibited occupancy during the Middle and Late Holocene periods with no use after 1250 B.P. CA-SDI 1074 and 4411 both show residential use post 600 B.P. All three sites demonstrate considerable reliance on marine invertebrates and fish. The earlier site CA-SDI-13325 used resources from a variety of niches from open-ocean and coastal marine environments to inland terrestrial areas (Byrd et. al. 1995). They indicate the Late Holocene sites CA-SDI-1074 and 4411 have a less diversified economy with less emphasis on marine resources and more on terrestrial-based plant resources. ―It is interesting to note that in southern California these grasses occur frequently in late period sites, at a time when population densities were probably increasing and groups were considered to be more sedentary. In order for the late period groups to increase their subsistence base they would have needed to rely on a dependable and prolific food source‖ (Byrd et.al. 1995:159). Grasses and weeds may have provided that reliable food source. In 2008 Iverson and Becker carried out a geomorphological and archaeological testing program in the terraces overlooking the San Mateo Creek. They test excavated three prehistoric sites and looked at the relationship of these Sites CA-SDI-14255, 15122, and 15123. Radiocarbon dates indicate Late Holocene occupation all before 640 B.P. The testing revealed ―small-scale, temporary resource procurement and activity areas, representing a broad and generalized procurement strategy‖ (Iverson and Becker 2008:125).

In 2000 Reddy tested 16 inland sites situated within the Santa Margarita River, Las Pulgas Creek and San Mateo Creek areas. The sites included limited activity, camps, bedrock milling and rock art sites. The analysis of the sites was broad and included geoarchaeology, vertebrate faunal analysis, macro botanical and phytolith. Eleven radiocarbon dates were derived from six sites all post dating 700 B.P. Reddy indicated that regardless whether residents of the 16 sites were described as collectors or foragers ―it is clear

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that the sites are indicative of repeated occupation, labor investment and long term planning‖ (Reddy 2000:341).

3.2 Study Units at Camp Pendleton: Landscape Zones and Landscape