Abstract
This thesis summarizes archaeological investigations and analysis of an existing unreported collection from CA-STA-207, a multicomponent prehistoric occupation site on Orestimba Creek, located near the crest of central California’s Diablo Range in Henry W. Coe State Park. Excavation of 13.6 m³ of deposits by the 2010 Cabrillo College archaeological field school produced an assemblage of 121 formed artifacts, 10,424 pieces of debitage, and 86,820 fragments of dietary bone, in addition to macrobotanical remains recovered from soil flotation samples. These data are used to address prehistoric cultural chronology and settlement patterns, including the degree of regional interaction and occupational intensity at CA-STA-207. Analysis of the collection defined three periods of site use dating to the Early (5,250 BP), Middle (2,800–1,520 BP) and Late (post-500 BP) Periods. Over this interval, shell bead exchange and toolstone procurement indicate expansive settlement mobility, with regional interaction extending to Monterey Bay during the Early and Middle Periods. By the Late Period mobility and social interaction westward declines, signaling increased population density and development of territorial land holding groups as documented in ethnographic literature. Occupational intensity remains constant across component assemblages that evidence seasonal habitation spanning fall through winter, marked by a subsistence economy reliant on large game and gray pine seeds. Although the distance traveled between occupational episodes declines during the Late Period, development of extended semi-sedentary site use appears constrained by upland environmental conditions, notably lack of perennial watercourses and associated fisheries.