Ancient fisheries of Eel Point (CA-SCLI-43), San Clemente Island
Mayo, C.D. (2024). Ancient fisheries of Eel Point (CA-SCLI-43), San Clemente Island. MA Thesis. California State University: Northridge. viii, 202 pp.
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Document type: Dissertation
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| Abstract |
Archaeological excavations at Eel Point, San Clemente Island (CA-SCLI-43) have produced copious amounts of fish remains. Fish were by far the most ubiquitous vertebrate faunal class found in middle and late Holocene Eel Point maritime cultural deposits and were an integral part of the subsistence and political economies. This study is focused on the identification and analysis of archaeoichthyofaunal samples obtained from Loci A, B, C, and D. These ichthyoarchaeological datasets indicate the presence of a fish-based protein subsistence economy predicated on the harvesting of California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) and various rockfish species (Sebastes spp.). Further analysis of the fish remains have revealed that California sheephead populations were not impacted by ancient harvesting techniques, as the mean total length (TL) and mass remained relatively constant throughout the middle and late Holocene. Moreover, mean trophic level (MTL) values were devoid of extreme shifts and indicate that the Eel Point inhabitants engaged in sustainable fishing practices through a combination of resource diversification and residential mobility. Data from this project can be integrated with ongoing Channel Islands fisheries conservation management plans and protocols to address the growing need for more robust ancient baseline datasets to better understand the effects of historical overfishing. |
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