What Is an Isolate? a Case Study From the Grindstone District of the Mendocino National Forest
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Much attention in California archaeology has focused on the concentrations of \nartifacts and features called ???sites.??? Although never fully investigated, individual or small \ngroups of artifacts are often unprotected. These ???isolates??? can still contribute to our \nunderstanding of prehistoric behavior and land use. In order to understand what isolates \ncan contribute, this paper will focus on prehistoric isolates, examining some primary \ndefinitions, as well as the historical and theoretical context that lead to the present \nmanagement policy. New isolate data was generated for this project in a GIS program \nthat compiled locational and descriptive data. This enabled an initial spatial analysis to be \nconducted, and contributes to the store of data for future research. The new data also \nsupports the theory that landscape is occupied physically and culturally, with changes \nthat occurred over time. This landscape includes an inter-relationship of many elements \nsuch as: climate, topography, flora and fauna, human inhabitants, technology, politics, and even our analysis of the evidence. By examining the sophisticated land management \ntechniques of the past, within the framework of the entire landscape, the importance of all \narchaeological evidence becomes more apparent. It is thus that isolates form a critical \nportion of the archaeological record.
Author: Juliet R. Barton
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2192799107