And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Mono Indians and their acorn stash (east side of the Sierra)
On the CA coast at the mouth of an untamed river, I found an obsidian arrowhead. Obsidian is not native to that place. The closest obsidian that I know is several hundred miles to the east. To the east, mind you.
The mountain ranges in CA lie in N-S, or NW-SE axis. Starting from the coast and traveling to that source of obsidian would require the crossing of at least five ranges, including the lofty Sierra Nevada.
Fascinated of the possible trading routes, I contacted several Caifornia history professors. They both said the Mono indians did trade with tribes to the west, across the Sierra Nevada. However, it is more probable that the arrowhead followed a path to the south (present day China Lake), across the Tehachapis, thence north in the central valley. Tribes of the San Joaquin and Sacremento vallies actively traded with the coastal tribes.
My cousins and I have had a men only fishing and hunting trip to Medicine Lake on the east side of Mount Shasta in Northern CA for many years. We liked to make arrow heads while sitting around the fire from obsidian we bring from Glass Mountain in the Napa Valley. One year when we came back our favorite camp site was roped off and there were people on their hands and knees digging around the fire pit. I asked a gentleman that looked like he was in charge what was going on. He said they were an archaeology class from UC Davis and were looking for evidence of trade between the Modoc tribe and tribes from inland CA. Broken and unfinished obsidian arrowheads were found, and the obsidian originated a long way from Shasta County. We could hardly contain our laughter, but finally drug out our arrowhead-making tools and supplies and told him what we did during our down time. He became very angry and accused us of contaminating this historical "site." We started laughing out loud at that and before long we were helping his students learn how to nap arrowheads. We caught enough Eastern Brook trout to give everyone a good fish feed. Good times!
On the CA coast at the mouth of an untamed river, I found an obsidian arrowhead. Obsidian is not native to that place. The closest obsidian that I know is several hundred miles to the east. To the east, mind you.
ReplyDeleteThe mountain ranges in CA lie in N-S, or NW-SE axis. Starting from the coast and traveling to that source of obsidian would require the crossing of at least five ranges, including the lofty Sierra Nevada.
Fascinated of the possible trading routes, I contacted several Caifornia history professors. They both said the Mono indians did trade with tribes to the west, across the Sierra Nevada. However, it is more probable that the arrowhead followed a path to the south (present day China Lake), across the Tehachapis, thence north in the central valley. Tribes of the San Joaquin and Sacremento vallies actively traded with the coastal tribes.
My cousins and I have had a men only fishing and hunting trip to Medicine Lake on the east side of Mount Shasta in Northern CA for many years. We liked to make arrow heads while sitting around the fire from obsidian we bring from Glass Mountain in the Napa Valley. One year when we came back our favorite camp site was roped off and there were people on their hands and knees digging around the fire pit. I asked a gentleman that looked like he was in charge what was going on. He said they were an archaeology class from UC Davis and were looking for evidence of trade between the Modoc tribe and tribes from inland CA. Broken and unfinished obsidian arrowheads were found, and the obsidian originated a long way from Shasta County. We could hardly contain our laughter, but finally drug out our arrowhead-making tools and supplies and told him what we did during our down time. He became very angry and accused us of contaminating this historical "site." We started laughing out loud at that and before long we were helping his students learn how to nap arrowheads. We caught enough Eastern Brook trout to give everyone a good fish feed. Good times!
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