An Eco-Archaeological Study of Indigenous Clam Bed Management at Colonial Period Toms Point (CA-MRN-202), Tomales Bay, California
Social Sciences
Senior Thesis for Anthropology
Current archaeological research suggests that Native people employed novel and creative ways to negotiate waves of colonialism since the late 16th century and continued to manage landscapes outside of colonial administration. By examining the material residues of “hinterland” non-state spaces, this eco-archaeological project seeks to further understand how indigenous people resisted colonialism while maintaining their connections to important resources on the landscape. In this paper I discuss the results of the analysis of three datasets: 1) ethnographic, 2) shell morphometrics and 3) radiocarbon are used to explore the possibility of indigenous shellfish management by Coast Miwok who lived at worked at Toms Point (CA-MRN-202), a nineteenth-century trading post in north Tomales Bay region. In addition to investigating the overall persistence of traditional resource collection, we discuss the relevance that archaeological data has for future restoration and historical ecological projects that aim to integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and collaborate with indigenous communities.
