WIND WOLVES PRESERVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL 2016: CALIFORNIA, US Course ID: ARCH XL159 June 13-­‐ July 17, 2016 DIRECTORS: Dr. David Robinson, University of Central Lancashire ([email protected]) Dr. Julienne Bernard, East Los Angeles College ([email protected]) INTRODUCTION The course will take place on the lands of the Wind Wolves Preserve in the historic San Emigdio Hills, found in the Transverse ranges of interior South-­‐Central California near the Grapevine. Originally occupied by Native Californians, later becoming the San Emigdio Grant in the Mexican Period, this contiguous property contains over 106 known archaeological sites including some of the most spectacular rock-­‐art sites in North America and a site with the best preserved perishable assemblage ever documented in the region. This field school is an international collaborative project between universities in the United Kingdom (University of Central Lancashire) and the United States (East Los Angeles College). The project operates under the title of the Enculturating Environments Project which examines how the environment is transformed into a landscape through a range of practices. This allows students to directly investigate a series of sites that detail these transformations for over 6000 years. Students may work and excavate at several sites, including sandstone shelters containing paintings which are attributed to Chumash and Yokuts tribal cultures. In our most recent field season, we excavated at Cache Cave, which contains perishable material culture remains—extremely rare finds in Californian contexts. In this year’s field school, we will be continuing our work at several sites on the beautiful lands of the Wind Wolves Preserve conducting targeted excavation and survey plus using a variety of cutting edge portable instruments to analyze the chemical constituents of the rock paintings, to laser scan rock-­‐art and other features, and to document special finds within the excavation process. We will continue work at the remarkable site of Cache Cave, but also investigate a number of other sites in order to answer crucial questions about the function and meaning of this truly important site in the wider context of its landscape. 1 | P a g e COURSE OBJECTIVES This course has three goals; 1) to introduce students to field methods in archaeology, 2) to provide a practical working knowledge of survey, excavation, portable XRF and portable Raman use, laser scanning (using a FARO 3D laser scanner), site mapping, artifact processing/post-­‐excavation (i.e. lab work), and field cataloging methods, and 3) to appreciate the preservation and management of cultural and environmental resources in this case study on the 100,000 acre Wind Wolves Preserve. The course’s primary directive is to enable students to better understand how archaeology is practiced and interpreted in the field. Excavation/digital mapping: Students will participate in excavations, sieving, total station mapping, and laser scanning at Cache Cave and/or other sites at the preserve. Documentation: Students will participate in filling out specific excavation/feature forms, section/plan drawings, and journals, mapping artifacts, and digital processing of laser scan data. Cataloging: Students will participate in field sorting and cataloging of artifacts. Portable Analytical Methods: Students will participate in the use of portable X-­‐Ray Fluorescence and portable Raman analysis of rock paintings. Laboratory: Scheduled lab tasks will include washing, sorting, artifact analysis, photography, and cataloging/archiving of artifacts. The course begins on Monday, June 13 and will meet Tuesday through Saturday until Sunday, July 17 (aside from the first day, Sundays and Mondays will be off). Students may travel or rest on days off but must arrange their own transportation. An intensive lecture series during the first three days of the project will provide the cultural and archaeological background to the fieldwork, and additional lectures by project specialists will be offered periodically throughout the remainder of the field season. ACADEMIC CREDIT UNITS & TRANSCRIPTS Credit Units: Attending students will be awarded 12 quarter credit units (equivalent to 8 semester units) through our academic partner, UCLA Extension. UCLA is a top ranked research university and its archaeology program is ranked as #1 in the country. All IFR field schools instructors and curricula are approved both by the corresponding academic department and the Academic Senate at UCLA. This field school provides a minimum of 192 direct instructional hours. Transcripts: Transcripts are available through UCLA UnEX portal at http://bit.ly/1KjIFZK. Grades will be posted and transcript available usually within six weeks after the end of this field school. All IFR field schools are designated ‘XL’ and thus are transferable courses, depending on the student major, GPA etc. To learn more about XL designation, go to http://bit.ly/1KrpahW. UCLA students, go to http://bit.ly/1QkSkR8. Credit Units Transfer: Most universities accept UCLA credit units – there are very few exceptions. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss the transferability of the credit units with school officials BEFORE attending the field school. PREREQUISITES There are no prerequisites for participation in this field school. This is hands-­‐on, experiential learning and students will study on-­‐site how to conduct archaeological research. Archaeology involves physical work and exposure to the elements and thus, requires a measure of acceptance that this will not be the typical university learning environment. You will get sweaty, tired and have to work in the outdoors. 2 | P a g e Much of the project includes excavating in caves, so you may need to work in semi-­‐confined spaces, and thus this is not a field school for those with severe claustrophobia. Students are required to come equipped with sufficient excitement and adequate understanding that the archaeological endeavor requires real, hard work – in the sun, on your feet, and with your trowel. DISCLAIMER – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY Archaeological field work involves physical work in the outdoors. You should be aware that conditions in the field are different than those you experience in your home, dorms, or college town. This program operates in the central valley of CA. During the day, temperatures can reach above 100⁰F. Because we will at times be excavating in a cave, students will work in semi-­‐confined spaces, and thus this is not a field school for those with severe claustrophobia. The cave contains openings with steep drop-­‐offs. We avoid and/or navigate these safely, but those with significant fear of heights have found difficulty working in the cave (there are plenty of ways to work comfortably outside of the cave, though, and students may opt out of cave work at any time). In order to be protected from the sun you must wear clothing that covers your shoulders and a hat. Sunscreen is also a must and sturdy, closed toe footwear are required. No sandals are permitted on site. Scorpions, spiders, and the occasional snake are encountered in the area. Living and working outdoors, we do encounter flies, ticks, bugs, and other pests. Valley Fever is a particular concern in this region and thus safety procedures must be followed when excavating or processing soils. For any medical concerns, please consult with your doctor. Other concerns may be discussed with the project directors – as appropriate. EQUIPMENT/TOOL KIT Students will be responsible for bringing: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Sleeping bag
Tent (unless they are comfortable sharing a tent with another student)
Work boots or sturdy hiking shoes. Students will not be allowed to work in sneakers or sandals
Sunblock
Hat to provide protection from the sun.
GRADING MATRIX Percentage
90-­‐100%
80-­‐89%
70-­‐79%
60-­‐69%
0-­‐59%
Team-­‐working
Represents group to staff, leads team effectively; Active role in team building, initiates group tasks
Supports other group members, leads group tasks
Considerate of other group members, engage in group tasks
Some inappropriate behavior, doesn’t engage in group tasks
Repeated inappropriate or offensive behavior
Commitment
Hard-­‐working & eager to learn; shows initiative; attention to detail.
Hard-­‐working & eager to learn but showing little initiative
Completes tasks but no obvious enthusiasm
Tasks left incomplete, time wasting
Persistent time-­‐
wasting & work avoidance
3 | P a g e Reflective learning
Detailed and insightful field journal
Moderately detailed field journal
Cursory entries in field journal; some days without notes
Minimal details, several missing entries
Many missing entries, incomplete, irrelevant entries Attendance
No unexcused absences
1 unexcused absences 2 unexcused absences
3 unexcused absences
4 or more unexcused absences
Follows all safety protocols; wears mask; looks after others
Follows all safety protocols; wears mask;
Follows all safety protocols, wears mask, minimal lapses
Follows all safety protocols, wears mask, with occasional lapse
Follows all safety protocols, wears mask with more than occasional lapse
Safety Practice
Students will also be required to keep a daily journal which will become a permanent part of the project archive. TRAVEL & MEETING POINT We will meet at the Baggage Claim area of the Meadows Field Airport (BFL) in Bakersfield at 12:00pm on Monday, June 13. We will drive to the preserve from there. Students may drive their own vehicles directly to the preserve if they like, but must arrive at the preserve by 5:00pm on Monday June 13. If you missed your connection or your flight is delayed, please call, text or email to the project director. Local cell phone numbers and other emergency contact information will be provided to all enrolled students. ACCOMMODATIONS Students will be camping on the Wind Wolves Preserve. Students will share tents with 1 or 2 other students (unless they provide their own tent). The preserve campground has toilets and running water, but no showers. A camp shower will be provided. There will be limited access to electricity. On work days (Tuesday through Saturday) and excursions, all meals will be communal events and will provide plenty of nutritious but basic food. Our dig chef will prepare hot dinners and students will prepare their own breakfast and lunch from supplies provided by the project. Students will be required to help with food prep and clean up on a rotating basis. Students are responsible for making or buying their own meals on days off. Vegetarians may attend. Other specialized diets (vegan, etc.) are difficult to maintain in this remote location but do contact us if you have any special requirements or allergies. There will be a number of international specialist staff and visiting colleagues who will participate on the project. Additionally, students from the University of Central Lancashire will also make up a part of the team. This will provide the opportunity to meet a range of people from many places across the world while broadening the intellectual breadth of the field school. COURSE SCHEDULE Daily routine: We will leave early in the morning (approx. 6:00am) to drive to site. Students will participate on a variety of tasks, including all aspects of fieldwork. Food will be provided, but students will prepare their own breakfast and lunch to bring on site. We will end work in the afternoon (approx. 4:30pm) and drive back to the campground. On a rotating basis, students may remain behind with a supervisor to process artifacts, perform data entry/digital downloads, etc. Students will be assigned camp duties on a rotating basis which they will be required to perform. Dinners will be provided by the camp cook four nights a week: one night a week will be in town for pizza, Mexican food, or some other 4 | P a g e restaurant. On days off, students may relax at camp or arrange their own excursions. Students are responsible for making or buying their own meals on days off: our camp cook will ensure that there is food available for them in the camp kitchen. Week 1: Monday Arrive in Bakersfield, California at 12:00pm or at the Wind Wolves Preserve, by 5:00pm. Tuesday Morning: Introductory lecture: “Background, Aims, and Research Design of the Enculturating Environments Project.” Afternoon: Lectures: “Introduction to the History and Archaeology of the San Emigdio Region;” “Introduction to California Native Material Culture;” Wednesday Introduction to the environment of the Wind Wolves Preserve: meet Preserve personnel, visit Preserve archaeological sites. Lecture: “Cache Cave Results to Date” Thursday Begin work at site. Introduction to field methods: setting up units, recording excavation data, screening and excavation techniques Friday Fieldwork Saturday Fieldwork Sunday Day off Monday Day off Weeks 2-­‐4: Tuesday-­‐Saturday: Fieldwork Sunday and Monday: Day off Week 5: Close sites/lab processing of artifacts for archiving. Saturday Complete all lab tasks and clean up camp. Sunday, July 17 Tear down camp and depart by mid-­‐day. READINGS Students are required to read all of the following sources. All readings will be provided as PDF files and enrolled students will have access through the IFR website. Bernard, Julienne, David Robinson, and Fraser Sturt 2014 Points of Refuge in the South Central California Colonial Hinterlands. In Indigenous Landscapes and Spanish Missions: New Perspectives from Archaeology and Ethnohistory, edited by Lee Panich and Tsim Schneider. University of Arizona Press. In press Erlandson, Jon E. 1984 A Case Study in Faunalturbation: Delineating the Effects of the Burrowing Pocket Gopher on the Distribution of Archaeological Materials. American Antiquity 49(4): 785-­‐790. Glassow, Michael 2005 Chapter 5: Excavation. In Herbert D. G. Maschner and Christopher Chippindale. Handbook of Archaeological Methods New York, Toronto, and Oxford: AltaMira Press. 5 | P a g e Grant, Campbell 1978 Interior Chumash. In California, edited by Robert Heizer, pp. 530-­‐534. Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 8, William C. Sturtevant, general editor, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Hester, Thomas R., Harry J. Shafer, and Kenneth L. Feder 1997 Research Design and Sampling Techniques. In Field Methods in Archaeology, pp. 21-­‐40. Mayfield Publishing Company, Mountain View, California. Mohr, A., and L. L. Sample 1967 The Sacred Bundle Complex Among the Chumash. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 3:38–45. Robinson, David W. 2010 Land use, land ideology: an integrated Geographic Information Systems analysis of the Emigdiano Chumash rock-­‐art, South-­‐Central California. American Antiquity 74(4):292-­‐318. 2007 Taking the Bight Out of Complexity: Elaborating South-­‐Central California Interior Landscapes. In S. Kohrning and S. Wynne-­‐Jones (eds), Socialising Complexity: Structure, Integration, and Power, 183-­‐
204. Oxbow: Oxford. 2004 Tierra Incognita: Rock Art, Landscape Biography, and Archaeological Blind Spots-­‐A Case Study From Interior California. American Indian Rock Art 30: 43–55. 2004 The Mirror of the Sun: Surface, Mineral Applications, and Interface in California Rock Art, pp 91-­‐
106. In N. Boivin and M-­‐A. Owoc (eds), Soils, Stones and Symbols: archaeological and anthropological perspectives on the mineral world. University College London Press: London. Whitby, W. E. 2011 Resistance and Acculturation: Chumash Cache Caves and Colonial California. In British Archaeological Reports: CHAT 2009 Oxford Conference Proceedings edited by Brent Fortenberry and Laura McAtackney. RECOMMENDED READINGS Bernard, Julienne 2008 Chapter 3: The Culture, History, and Archaeology of Interior and Emigdiano Chumash People. In An Archaeological Study of Resistance, Persistence, and Culture Change in the San Emigdio Canyon, Kern County, California. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles. Elsasser, A. B., and R. F. Heizer 1963 The Archaeology of Bowers Cave, Los Angeles County, California. University of California Archaeological Survey Reports 59:1–45.
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