Early References to Shellmounds of Middle California.
All the publications treating of the shellmounds of central and northern California, which from the nature of their contents are different from those of the coast and the islands of southern California, may be condensed into the following bibliography:
The Smithsonian Reports of 1869 mention a collection of artifacts from the shellmounds of Alameda county presented to the Institute by Dr. Yates.[[6]] J. W. Foster, in 1874, speaks of a newspaper notice concerning a shellmound in the region of San Pablo.[[7]] James Deans follows in 1876 with a short notice (together with drawings of some artifacts) concerning a mound between Visitacion Valley and Point Bruno on the western shore of the Bay.[[8]] A short notice by H. H. Bancroft, accompanied by views of four objects, points to the great historical value of the shellmounds. The Marquis de Nadaillac in his well known work mentions the shellmounds in the vicinity of San Francisco.[[9]] Moorehead in his work gives a few remarks on excavations in shellmounds of central California.
[6] Smithson. Reports, 1869, p. 36.
[7] Prehistoric races of the United States of America, 1874, p. 163.
[8] Journal of the Anthropological Inst. of Great Britain and Ireland, 1876, V, p. 489. The majority of these shellmounds have been graded down.
[9] Prehistoric America, ed. by W. H. Dall, 1885, p. 50.