Unworked shell.—Dr. Palmer collected sample specimens of unworked shell from the open midden on the bay to the east of the burial site, as well as unworked shell in association with the burials in the cave (Annual Report, 1888, p. 129). These are listed below:
Cave Specimens
139561-Cardium elatum Sby.
139562-Pecten (vola) dentata Sby.
Midden Specimens
139590-Cardium pentunculus
139591-(Aximea) gigantea
139592-Strombus gracilior Sby.
139593-Strombus tesselatum
139594-Callista chionaea
139595-Chione fluctifraga
139596-Crucibulum spinosum Sby.
139597-Chione (?) succinata
139598-Neverita reclugiana
139599-Dosinia ponderosa
139600-Arca sp.
139602-Pecten (vola) dentata
139603-Venus guidia
139604-Cardita (Lazaria) californica
139605-Avicula sp.
139606-Tapes grata Sby. and histrionica
139607-Solecurtus californianus Com.
139608-Spondylus princeps
139609-Ostraea palmilla cpr.
139610-Liacardium elatium
139611-Phyllontus sp.
139612-Prinna sp.
MIDDEN POTSHERDS
In addition to the unworked shells there are body and rim sherds from at least two pottery vessels which came from a shell midden on the bay.
There is a single rim sherd (139614a) which comes from a shallow bowl with a direct flat-topped rim. Color of both the interior and exterior surfaces is buff. The paste is fairly coarse, with a granitic sand temper which has also some pumice inclusions. There is also evidence of vegetable-fiber inclusions. There is no mica in the paste. The fragment is 5 mm. thick.
The second fragment (139614b) is a large rim and body sherd from a large bowl which would have been 27 cm. in diameter and 17 cm. high. The rim is direct, with a grooved lip ([pl. 18], a, b). The surface color is black to dark gray. The paste is coarse, with sand and quartz inclusions, some of which are as large as 5 mm. in diameter. No mica is present. The surface is scarred by burned-away vegetable inclusions. The specimen is about 9 mm. thick.
This pottery could have been native-made pottery from the Mission period, or it could have been derived from pottery-making Indians to the north. Neither source has been adequately studied on the peninsula. Comparable pieces have been seen, however, from mission ruins in central and northern Baja California.
WOOD