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.)
These five specimens were localized in the southeast sector of the
deposit, and none occurred deeper than the 12-to-18-inch level. Numerous
Phase II projectile points came from this same general area of the site
and therefore there is some inclination to assign these specimens to a
late position in the Phase I with the probability that they are Phase II.
_Abrading Stones_
Two broad classes of abrading stones have been differentiated on the basis
of form and inferred function (Treganza and Malamud 1950, p. 147):
I. Those that could be held in the hand and rubbed against some
article being finished. These have smoothed, even-abrading surfaces
that are gently concave to convex. They are clearly distinguishable
from manos by their reduced average proportions, and the near
consistent lack of pecking as a sharpening measure. That this latter
characteristic does not hold without exception seems to be due simply
to the fact that some of the abrading stones appear to be reused
manos.
One of the examples in the above category, originally a broken bifaced
mano, has small, half-inch deep depressions at either end. These
evidently served as finger-holds, for they effect a good grip on the
tool.
II. Those that, though quite varied in size, bear one or more grooves
on their faces. The furrows vary in breadth and depth and appear to be
a function, essentially, of the amount and kind of wear to which the
artifact was subjected.
Many of these specimens, especially those with narrow, V-shaped
longitudinal grooves, would be classed as awl sharpeners had they
occurred in sites of later origin. However, bone awls or pointed,
worked bone in any form is absent in the Tank Site. It would suggest,
then, that this class of abrading stones were involved in conjunction
with wood working, the tangible evidence having been lost to us.
_Cog Stones_
Cog stones, because of their unique forms and restricted distribution, may
be useful as diagnostic elements for future comparative studies. As yet we
know little about their function or cultural associations in the rest of
southern California. Their temporal position appears to be a middle one,
as none occur in positive association with late or historic sites, and
conversely, none have been reported for Lake Mohave, coastal San Dieguito,
or Oak Grove. The Tank Site specimens represent the earliest known
occurrence, and even here their exact position as to Phase I or Phase II
is not fully known. Most of our specimens occur in the top levels (0-18
inches), though a single example was found as deep as 32 inches (pl. 23,
_b_).
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