Graduation Date
Fall 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Applied Anthropology
Committee Chair Name
Marissa A Ramsier
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Barbara Klessig
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Justin Carlson
Third Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Fourth Committee Member Name
Eric Nocerino
Fourth Committee Member Affiliation
Community Member or Outside Professional
Keywords
Lithics, Projectile points, Chumash indians, Native American, California, California central coast, Atlatl, Bow and arrow, Flaked stone tools, Dart points, Spear points, Arrow points
Subject Categories
Anthropology
Abstract
The study of stone projectile point typology is not new. Many scholars have developed both similar and very different approaches to classifying various point types based on a wide variety of key morphological characteristics. The comparison of projectile point types and sizes from disparate regions, however, has not been widely examined. This research utilizes the classification systems of Noel Justice (Justice 2002a) and Brian Glenn (Glenn 1991) as a basis for comparing projectile point specimens from two disparate geographic regions. The first specimen collection comes from the Vandenberg Space Force Base region on the central coast of California and represents a coastal area. The second set of specimens come from the California Flats/Turkey Flats region in central California closer to the central valley and represents an inland locale.
Data collection for the projectile points in the study was done on specimens recovered or observed during archaeological investigations within both regions. Each point was photographed and carefully measured, and detailed notes about their morphological characteristics were recorded. Using Justice’s and Glenn’s key attribute descriptions, each point was compared to and identified as examples of previously recorded types and sizes, with the intention of making inferences about the subsistence strategies of the Native American populations in the regions. Further, by comparing the similarities and differences of projectile points within the two collections, the researcher was investigating the possibility of disparities in subsistence strategies between the two divergent regions.
The resulting comparison did not identify the type of inferences that logic might dictate; larger more robust projectile points do not infer the hunting of larger prey, smaller more gracile points do not infer the hunting of smaller prey. Ethnographic reports and various experimental reproductions of the types of projectile weaponry recovered from the archaeological record show that most California Native groups used various point types, including non-stone points, to hunt in a variety of circumstances. Although a great deal of information was gleaned during the course of this research, the researcher concluded that conclusive results would require a differently formulated research question and additional data.
Citation Style
Chicago Manual of Style 18th Edition
Recommended Citation
Newcomb, Robert Clark, "Geographic disparity and the comparison of projectile points in central California" (2025). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2536.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2536