Transcript Archaeology in the Northeast of California

Archaeology in the Northeast
of California
Everyone else:
“ Now that the general hostilities against the Indians
have commenced we hope the government will
render such aid as will enable the citizens of the
north to carry out the extermination until the last
redskin of these tribes has been killed.
Extermination is no longer a question of time, the
time has arrived. Let the first man that says treaty or
peace be branded a traitor.”
---editorial in the Yreka Herald, 1861
Ethnicity
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The northeast was one of the last regions to be
intruded on by white settlers.
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The region was home to Shasta, Modoc, Wintu,
Yana, Pit River, Northern Maidu, and Piute
Nine separate groups of three major linguistic
stocks.
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The region has been little studied archaeologically.
Environmental zones
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Variation from west to east.
Mountainous to dry, desert-like scrubs.
Volcanic lava beds in the east.
Several deep river valleys supporting a wide
range of resources.
Mt Shasta in the central area.
Interaction
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Similar manner as elsewhere in California:
subsistence foraging, trade relations with neighbors
and simple technologies.
However, there also existed specific rivalries and
traditional antagonistic groups.
For example, the Shasta fought with the Modoc, but
traded west with the Yurok and Hupa.
All groups recognized and defended specific
territories.
Modoc
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Territory spanned California-Oregon and
west-east.
Other traditional enemies included the
Klamath (one reason for failure of reservation
was putting Modoc and Klamath together).
Modoc lived in some of the best watered
areas of the northern region.
Modoc practiced seasonal transhumance,
with specified areas for winter villages.
Archaeological evidence
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for
Subsistence foraging.
Winter brought groups together in multi-family
villages.
Summer scarcity led to fractionization with
small groups and individual families
dispersing widely.
Leadership focused on a headman;
hereditary, but no true political organization.
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Because archaeology in the region has been
limited we have poor understanding of the
chronology of culture.
Earliest phases most likely reach back to
6000 BC, with evidence in the form of corner
notched and side notched projectile points. A
bit older for the Piute region to the east.
Several archaeological phases identified for
the Modoc region.
Summary
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At least 6000 years of occupation, possibly
as deep as 11,000 years.
Regional chronology is still sketchy.
Settlement patterns are not well understood.
Conflict
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Tribal: traditional
enemies.
With US Army; the
Modoc wars of 1873
and beyond. Modoc led
by Captain Jack. The
site is now lava Beds
National Monument.
Relocated to Oklahoma
One word essays:
Ishi, The Last Yahi
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The next step is to take
your one word essay
and expand your
meaning to a full
paragraph…then
discuss what you view
as the central 1 or 2
issues presented by the
film.