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Trade and Trails in Aboriginal California (September 1950) (32 pages)
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Page: of 32
TRALE AND TRAILS IN ABORIGIIAL CALIFORNIA
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction e e ° e e e ere ° e e ° e e e eo .°¢ ° e e e e e c e e 1
Trading customs .. «se» ss «eee see oe se we ew ee we 3
Artic les traded s e e eo e e e e e cJ s e e a e e e e by e e a ® e 7
Bibliographic references to trails shown on map... . «ss 2
Bibliography e e c] e e e 36 e e e e e e s e e e e se e e e e e 25
ILLUSTRATIONS
Indian trails and trade routes in Ualiformia ........ arter paze 23
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INTRODUCTION
This preliminary report does not cover fvlly the data on Indian trade
in California, It may show, however, that the study of native trade is an
important approach to the study of aboriginal culture contact in California.
The trails are lines of direct diffusion and culture may spread rapialy along
these routes. Charting of material traded between particular tribes as
obtained from ethnograohic and historical sources may help the archaeologist
analyze sources of artifact materials found in sites.
Trade as described in this paper represents the situation as it existed
at the time of Caucasian discovery and during the early period of contact.
This mems a different time period for northern, central, southern, and sierral
California, each explored at different times. Some of the trade mentioned
is undoubtedly very old. It is possible, also, that some was stimuiated by
the presence of white traders and highly valued white man's gocds. Wherever
the circwastances point to its being a late development, these facts are
pointed out.
As can be seen from the map, trails covered all of California. The
dotted lines are used to show probable routes. On a map of this small scale
the trails are necessarily diagrammatical. An accurate representation of these
trails plus minor ones has been dravm on a 2:500,000 projection of California
and deposited in the office of the University of California Archaeological
Survey for reference. The complete mapping of trails is important to the
study of culture history and diffusion in California.
iriads of Indian trails crisscrossed each other in the valleys of
Califomia. Early travelers were often confused by the multitude of choices;
they needed and used Indian guides to show the correct paths. George Gibbs,
with Colonel Redick McKee's expedition in 1851, became lost on the way between
Sonoma and Humboldt Bay even with a guide: "We nalted for half an hour, while
the scuice sought a route; no casy thing in a country presenting such an endlcss
succession of hills and cut up everywhere by Indian and deer trails."
1 See notes. De &