When Spanish explorers and missionaries came onto Southern California's shores in 1769, they encountered the large towns and villages of the Chumash, a people who at that time were among the most advanced hunter-gatherer societies in the world. The Spanish were entertained and fed at lavish feasts hosted by chiefs who ruled over the settlements and who participated in extensive social and economic networks. In this modern synthesis of data from the Chumash heartland, this book weaves together multiple sources of evidence to re-create the rich tapestry of Chumash society. Drawing from archaeolo ... More
Keywords: Spanish explorers, Southern California, Chumash, hunter-gatherer societies, Chumash society, Chumash culture, settlements, social networks, economic networks
Print publication date: 2008 | Print ISBN-13: 9780520254411 |
Published to California Scholarship Online: May 2012 | DOI:10.1525/california/9780520254411.001.0001 |