Re: [Paddlewise] Southern California Report

Duane Strosaker wrote:
> Dave,
> 
> Actually, the Southern California natives used tomol canoes, which were
> planked, to get back and forth to all eight of the Channel Islands. The
> natives at the islands and along the coast relied heavily on the sea for
> sustenance. There are huge midden piles of abalone shells on all the
> islands, and they fished and traded.

thanks, Duane.  Did not know of any of that.  The natives down where I grew 
up may not have done any longer distance seafaring, although I'm sure they 
hit the abalone hard, now that you mention it.  Mine were located very 
close to San Diego.  See: http://www.californiaprehistory.com/tribmap.html

Forgot to mention in the earlier post that some of the metates were found 
pretty far out, maybe up to a quarter mile, indicating long-term use of 
that spot.  If it eroded at the rate of an inch a year, or so (probab,ly a 
high rate), that would give a distance of about 830 feet. (10,000 years at 
1 inch each year) / (12 in per foot) = about 830 feet).  Not sure what sea 
level was 10,000 years ago.

That erosion rate might explain the absence of any middens in my memory, 
although the seashore was so heavily altered by 1955 maybe they were 
covered up or bulldozed away.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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