The Topanga Culture: Final Report on Excavations, 1948Treganza, Adan E. (Adan Eduardo)
History
The Topanga Culture: Final Report on Excavations, 1948
Treganza, Adan E. (Adan Eduardo)
California -- Antiquities; Topanga Canyon (Calif.)
_LAn-4._--This site is located in the saddle of the ridge which separates
the Topanga Canyon drainage from that of the Santa Ynez Canyon, about
one-half mile east-southeast of the Tank Site. The saddle is well covered
with live oaks and manzanita. The habitation deposit is marked by a slight
discoloration of the soil and yielded a few manos like those of the Tank
Site. At best, the site was probably just a temporary camping spot.
_LAn-5._--As at LAn-4, the evidence of occupation, consisting of typical
manos, was found in a small saddle of a ridge directly across the ravine
from, and about one-half mile south of the Tank Site. Large live oaks
are the predominant vegetation. No extensive habitation area was noted,
though the evidence might well have been hidden under leaf mould.
[Illustration: Topanga Canyon]
_LAn-6._--This site is of interest since it may indicate an occurrence of
the Topanga Culture in the San Fernando Valley. The deposit is located on
the periphery of a citrus grove in the eastern foothills of the valley,
near Girard. Cultural associations consisted of Topanga-like scrapers and
choppers composed of a tough, light-colored rhyolite. There were no signs
of occupation. It is not improbable that this was a quarry site; an
outcrop of rhyolite is close at hand. However, no quantities of reject
refuse were noted; nor did any core or flake tools composed of rhyolite
occur in the Tank Site series to suggest trade or contact between the two
sites.
The two San Fernando Valley sites, the Big Tahunga and Porter Ranch sites,
reported on by Mr. Edwin Walker (Walker, 1936, 1945) of the Southwest
Museum, appear to have no relation to LAn-6 or bearing on the problem of
the Topanga Culture.
_LAn-8._--Topanga Post Office and a number of smaller buildings now stand
directly on this site, though parts of it are still evident where it
extends south to the highway. Except in the dry summer, water is available
in the creek just across the road and there are two springs less than half
a mile to the west.
The low mound has been badly cut through by latterday road and building
operations, thus an area of only about 200 square feet remains uncovered.
Even here the surface has been considerably disturbed, but, at the same
time, a large number of artifacts have been exposed and are to be found
scattered over the dark, friable midden soil, interspersed with rejects
and shell fragments. The artifacts noted consist of general core tools and
a possible mano fragment. One shell disk bead (diameter, 3 mm.; thickness,
1 mm.; diameter of perforation, 1 mm.; unidentifiable shell) was
collected.
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