Routledge Contemporary Issues in California Archaeology

Recent archaeological research on California includes a greater diversity of models and approaches to the region’s past, as older literature on the subject struggles to stay relevant. This comprehensive volume offers an in-depth look at the most recent theoretical and empirical developments in the field including key controversies relevant to the Golden State: coastal colonization, impacts of comets and drought cycles, systems of power, Polynesian contacts, and the role of indigenous peoples in the research process, among others. With a specific emphasis on those aspects of California’s past that resonate with the state’s modern cultural identity, the editors and contributors―all leading figures in California archaeology―seek a new understanding of the myth and mystique of the Golden State. Review "Jones and Perry present an overview of archaeology in the state of California. Given its size and location, including extensive coastline and high mountains, the state has long been known for its exceptional cultural diversity. Dealing with this has put California archaeology in the forefront of the development of Americanist archaeology in general. Not surprisingly, there are more registered professional archaeologists in California than in any state of the US. Stemming from a symposium held at the 76th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, the volume presents 19 articles, plus introduction and conclusions, which cover different facets of the state's rich archaeological background and history of fieldwork. Most importantly, each topical article includes an extensive and current bibliography, most important for professional readers. For college and university libraries with undergraduate and graduate programs in archaeology; general readers will find it interesting, though stiff going. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries." --CHOICE About the Author Terry L. Jones is Professor of Anthropology and Chair of the Department of Social Sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he has taught for the last 13 years. He received his PhD in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis in 1995 and his MA in Cultural Resources Management from Sonoma State University in 1982. He has worked as a professional archaeologist for 30 years, mostly on the central California coast where he studies hunter-gatherer ecology and maritime adaptations. He has published over 60 articles and book chapters on California prehistory as well as monographs and edited volumes.Jennifer E. Perry worked in CRM in southern California before obtaining her PhD in 2003 in anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her professional interests concern human-environment interactions, specifically hunter-gatherer societies in coastal settings. Her research focuses on the Channel Islands, where she maintains a cooperative research agreement with Channel Islands National Park. She has taught at Pomona College since 2002, where she is currently an associate professor of anthropology and environmental analysis.