Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Paleocoastal Seasonality on California's Northern Channel Islands: Shellfish Harvesting and Isotopic Signatures of Sedentism vs. Mobility

解剖学上的现代人(AMH)从非洲传播到世界各地的时间和性质--包括美洲的人口--是当今考古学家面临的一些最重要的问题。越来越多的证据表明，沿海迁徙和海上适应促成了AMH向亚洲和美洲的传播。美洲航海和海上适应的一些最早证据来自加利福尼亚州的海峡群岛，早在至少13,000年前，古海岸人就在这里定居。然而，关于对岛屿的古海岸占领的永久性或对海洋生物方式的承诺程度的问题仍然存在。通过研究北海峡群岛的古海岸生活方式、定居、生存战略、航海和岛屿殖民，这项研究将有助于解决与北美海洋捕捞的古老、人类对海洋生态系统的影响以及沿海和岛屿环境的所谓边缘有关的更大问题。在这篇博士论文中，在Jon Erlandson博士的指导下，Nicholas Jew先生将使用来自古海岸考古遗址的海洋贝壳的稳定氧同位素分析(ä18O)来检验与北海峡群岛早期人类定居的季节性有关的假设。氧同位素分析将被用来确定海水温度和来自圣米格尔岛七个古海岸中的贝壳的收获季节，这些贝壳的年代大约在10,200到8,000年前。全年捕捞贝类的证据将表明岛屿被古沿海民族永久占领，而更集中捕捞的证据将表明季节性定居。为了提供对18O结果的独立检查，将把同位素数据与每个地点的人工制品和脊椎动物组合进行比较，这些组合根据占领的时间和时间的不同而不同。同位素分析还将提供有关古代海面温度的宝贵信息，这些温度随着时间的推移而波动，并影响当地海洋生态系统的生产力和结构。所有这些数据都将与已公布和未公布的数据进行比较--包括目前对圣米格尔两个晚更新世(~12,200-11,400卡BP)遗址和圣罗萨岛一个大型居民贝壳中层的贝壳进行同位素研究的结果，这些贝壳可以追溯到大约8200年前--以检验一般的殖民模式。研究人员将评估关于新大陆一些最早的岛屿殖民证据的假设，产生新的关于贝类可获得性和捕捞的假设，并研究北海峡岛屿的古海岸遗址功能和聚落模式。这项研究将产生重要的新的考古和古生态数据，为人类学研究生和本科生提供培训机会，并有助于完成人类学博士学位。研究成果将通过同行评议的出版物、公共和专业报告以及各种印刷和电子媒体与公众和学术界分享。

The timing and nature of the spread of anatomically modern humans (AMH) out of Africa and around the world-including the peopling of the Americas-are some of the most significant issues facing archaeologists today. There is growing evidence that coastal migrations and maritime adaptations contributed to the spread of AMH into Asia and the Americas. Some of the earliest evidence for seafaring and maritime adaptations in the Americas comes from California's Channel Islands, which were settled by Paleocoastal peoples at least 13,000 years ago. Questions remain, however, about the permanence of Paleocoastal occupation on the islands or the level of commitment to maritime life-ways. By examining Paleocoastal life-ways, settlement, subsistence strategies, seafaring, and island colonization on the Northern Channel Islands, this research will contribute to larger issues pertaining to the antiquity of marine fishing in North America, human impacts on marine ecosystems, and the supposed marginality of coastal and island environments. In this Doctoral Dissertation Grant under the direction of Dr. Jon Erlandson, Mr. Nicholas Jew will use stable oxygen isotope analysis (ä18O) of marine shells from Paleocoastal archaeological sites to test hypotheses related to the seasonality of early human settlement on the Northern Channel Islands. Oxygen isotope analysis will be used to determine the marine water temperature and season of harvest for marine shells from seven Paleocoastal middens on San Miguel Island dated between about 10,200 and 8000 years ago. Evidence for year-round shellfish harvesting would suggest permanent occupation of the islands by Paleocoastal peoples, whereas evidence for more focused harvesting would suggest seasonal settlement. To provide an independent check on 18O results, the isotope data will be compared to artifact and vertebrate assemblages from each site, which vary depending on the length and timing of an occupation. The isotope analysis will also provide valuable information on ancient sea-surface temperatures, which have fluctuated through time and affect the productivity and structure of local marine ecosystems. All these data will be compared to published and unpublished data-including the results of current isotopic research on shells from two Terminal Pleistocene (~12,200-11,400 cal BP) sites on San Miguel and a large residential shell midden on Santa Rosa Island dated to ~8200 years ago-to test general colonization models. The investigators will evaluate hypotheses regarding some of the earliest evidence for island colonization in the New World, generate new hypotheses examining shellfish availability and harvesting, and examine Paleocoastal site function and settlement patterns on the Northern Channel Islands.This research will result in important new archaeological and paleoecological data, provide training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students in anthropology, and contribute to the completion of a PhD in anthropology. Research results will be shared with the public and scholarly community through peer-reviewed publications, public and professional presentations, and a variety of print and electronic media.