The Evolution of a Cemetery: Rapid Change in Burial Practices in a Middle Holocene Site in Central Alta California

Eerkens, Jelmer W.; Bartelink, Eric J.; Gardner, Karen; Wiberg, Randy S.

doi:10.1179/1947461x13z.0000000005

Cited by 12 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Although the co-occurence of diverse burial postures (e.g., flexed vs. extended) at CA-CCO-548 shows little variation through time, burial orientation (e.g., orientation of head with respect to true north) was quadrimodal, with modes clearly oriented to the cardinal directions (N, S, E, W). As well, orientations changed markedly in relative frequency throughout the occupation sequence, as did the spatial location of the active part of the cemetery (Eerkens et al, 2013b). Together the mortuary evidence shows that the cemetery was formed in a deliberate manner, with some burials showing traits similar to Windmiller populations from the Central Valley (e.g., extended burials) and others with traits more similar to Lower Berkeley populations (e.g., flexed burials) from the Bay Area.…”

Section: Ca-cco-548 (Marsh Creek)mentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Here we present stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from human bone collagen and bone bioapatite from 248 individuals who were buried in the northern part of CA-CCO-548, located along Marsh Creek near the eastern edge of the Central California Delta. AMS dates on 148 burials range between 5420 and 2975 cal B.P., indicating these individuals were interred mainly during the middle part of the Holocene (Eerkens et al, 2013b). Other studies indicate that southern portions of the site continued to be used through the Late Holocene until the time of contact (Burns et al, 2016;Ralston and Fitzgerald, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Stable isotope evidence of diet breadth expansion and regional dietary variation among Middle-to-Late Holocene Hunter-Gatherers of Central California

Bartelink

Beasley

Eerkens

et al. 2020

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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Previous stable isotope research on Middle-to-Late Holocene (6600 cal BP-present) hunter-gatherers of Central California has documented significant regional variation in human paleodiets between the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley. In general, this geographically-patterned dietary variation tracks greater consumption of marine food resources in the Bay Area and greater consumption of freshwater and terrestrial food resources in the Central Valley. Using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bone collagen, stable carbon isotopes of bone bioapatite, and a large series of AMS dates (5420-2975 cal BP), we examine human paleodiets in 238 burials from CA-CCO-548 (Marsh Creek), located near the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, in Central California. Isotopic results support archaeofaunal and paleobotanical findings regarding the dietary importance of terrestrial C 3 -resources (e.g., artiodactyls, small seeds, acorns) and freshwater fish. The results further indicate that marine resources were of minor importance and could have been acquired from brackish areas near the mouth of the San Francisco Bay estuary located 9 km away or through trade. Although carbon and nitrogen isotopes of bone collagen suggest continuity in the sources of dietary protein over time. Carbon isotopes of bone bioapatite demonstrate a significant temporal shift toward greater consumption of C 3 plant resources, such as acorns and small seeds, consistent with resource intensification models. The paleodiet of the CA-CCO-548 population is similar to contemporaneous groups located to the south and northwest, but is distinct from groups within the Delta and San Francisco Bay Area.

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Section: Ca-cco-548 (Marsh Creek)mentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Stable isotope evidence of diet breadth expansion and regional dietary variation among Middle-to-Late Holocene Hunter-Gatherers of Central California

Bartelink

Beasley

Eerkens

et al. 2020

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Self Cite

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“…For instance, it might be that the lack of cultural changes are a product of factors examined. Eerkens, Bartelink, Gardner, and Wiberg () have pointed out that some factors of burial methods may reflect long term traditions that may be shared across tribes whereas other factors, such as burial positions, may change swiftly and tell us more than the stable markers. In short, one might expect to see cultural variation with a new population migrating into the area; however, it must be noted that cultural continuities in the form of artifacts, behaviors, or even languages do not equal biological continuities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological distance at the Ryan Mound site

Weiss

2018

American J Phys Anthropol

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This study illustrates the importance of testing for biological continuity. Nonmetric studies provide a way to examine relationships within a sample to determine biological continuity. For the Ryan Mound, new populations may have moved into the region early on as part of the Meganos intrusion, or new populations may have moved into the region later, between AD 1500 and AD 1800. Comparative data from nearby sites further support the Meganos intrusion theory.

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“…start and end dates for each group), we performed further tests of their relative ordering using the ‘Order’ function [42]. Finally, in order to explore possible connections transecting burial traditions, we repeated our analyses (uniform, trapezoid, and outlier models) with our dates grouped according to burial position, which has been identified as a comparatively stable marker of cultural or biological connections [43]. For these ‘burial position’ analyses, only direct dates on human bones were included in the model, and all animal bones and satellite features were excluded.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiocarbon dating and cultural dynamics across Mongolia’s early pastoral transition

et al. 2019

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The emergence of mobile herding lifeways in Mongolia and eastern Eurasia was one of the most crucial economic and cultural transitions in human prehistory. Understanding the process by which this played out, however, has been impeded by the absence of a precise chronological framework for the prehistoric era in Mongolia. One rare source of empirically dateable material useful for understanding eastern Eurasia’s pastoral tradition comes from the stone burial mounds and monumental constructions that began to appear across the landscape of Mongolia and adjacent regions during the Bronze Age (ca. 3000–700 BCE). Here, along with presenting 28 new radiocarbon dates from Mongolia’s earliest pastoral monumental burials, we synthesise, critically analyse, and model existing dates to present the first precision Bayesian radiocarbon model for the emergence and geographic spread of Bronze Age monument and burial forms. Model results demonstrate a cultural succession between ambiguously dated Afanasievo, Chemurchek, and Munkhkhairkhan traditions. Geographic patterning reveals the existence of important cultural frontiers during the second millennium BCE. This work demonstrates the utility of a Bayesian approach for investigating prehistoric cultural dynamics during the emergence of pastoral economies.

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The Evolution of a Cemetery: Rapid Change in Burial Practices in a Middle Holocene Site in Central Alta California

Cited by 12 publications

References 14 publications

Stable isotope evidence of diet breadth expansion and regional dietary variation among Middle-to-Late Holocene Hunter-Gatherers of Central California

Stable isotope evidence of diet breadth expansion and regional dietary variation among Middle-to-Late Holocene Hunter-Gatherers of Central California

Biological distance at the Ryan Mound site

Radiocarbon dating and cultural dynamics across Mongolia’s early pastoral transition

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