"Geophysical Surveys of Stratigraphically Complex Island California Sites: New Implications for Household Archaeology" (with J. Arnold, senior author, and E. Ambos). Antiquity, 71(271):157-168, 1997.

Abstract Ground-penetrating radar and other geophysical techniques are known to produce useful data when deposits are crisply structured, as in the case of sub-surface masonry walls or large ditches. New studies of Californian coastal sites find the methods are effective in tracing the less sharp distinctions that define clay and sand house floors within these large and dense huntergatherer middens.

At a time when archaeologists, indigenous peoples interested in protecting their pasts, and preservationists are increasingly concerned that disturbances to archaeological sites be minimized, geophysical techniques obviate the need for large-scale exploratory excavations and permit highly informed and focused sub-surface studies. Such techniques may reduce significantly the expense and field effort in archaeological projects at sites of virtually any size and degree of internal complexity. A number of published works have shown that these applications can effectively trace major buried architectural features such as masonry walls, moats, cisterns and the like.

Recently, we have found geophysical methods also useful at small but unusually dense and stratigraphically complex residential sites of hunter-gatherer groups in southern California. The dense midden deposits characteristic of many coastal Chumash sites range from 1 to 5 m deep and are packed with well-preserved marine food refuse, many artefacts and very little soil. Contents include masses of fish, bird and mammal bone, shells, grinding implements, flaked debitage and tools, shell ornaments and beads, bead-making refuse, fishing gear, woven bags and mats, bone tools, asphaltum and much more.

In our article published by Antiquity , my co-authors and I have advocated the use of geophysical techniques in the study of prehistoric coastal sites. Specifically, we argue that all excavation should be preceded by ground penetrating radar studies and cesium vapor magnetometer studies. This contribution is significant in that Antiquity is perhaps the most read journal of any publication in our field. It is also strongly international in its presentations. The editor and reviewers felt that this contribution was extremely significant and published it in a very quick turn around period. They also felt that our methods may revolutionize the way archaeological field research is conducted in the future. We hope that this type of research will lead to a clarification of the causes of culture change during the Middle-Late Period transition, the focus of our debate in American Antiquity (see above).