"The Nursery Site" is the only known site representative of the Borax Lake Complex occurring in a coastal setting. Located on Six Rivers National Forest property near the mouth of Little River, excavation and a subsequent report were requested by the National Forest Service in an effort to evaluate the effects of on-going agricultural use of the project area. Excavation was undertaken by Humboldt State University students in 1994 after a surface survey and flagging of immediately visible artifactual remains. Thirteen 1m x 2m surface transect units were excavated to a depth of 10cm and an additional two 1m x 2m control units were excavated to a depth of 1m. The control units were located in areas identified by the surface survey as containing relatively high concentrations of artifacts.
Preliminary analysis based on diagnostic projectile point styles recovered from the site suggest the site was occupied seasonally by small mobile groups over an extended period of time from approximately 6000 BP. to 2000 BP or later. Diagnostics include Borax Lake wide-stem points, Helena series points, and other items diagnostic to the early period. McKee uniface points are among the diagnostic items dating to the middle period. Due to the distribution of artifactual evidence over a large area (exact boundaries are unknown due to the extension of the site onto private property) and relatively low concentrations of evidence in any specific place it is additionally assumed that these seasonal occupations varied in precise location from time to time.
This site provided a wide variety of resource procurement zones during prehistoric times as well as a broad and clear vista of the surrounding area. Coastal, riverine, prairie and forest ecosystems all occurred within several miles of the site. During historic times vast herds of elk are known to have congregated on this prairie. Geologic and paleobotanical evidence inform us that prairie soils have been present on this site for at least 10,000 years. Based on this and artifactual evidence hunting and processing of game are assumed to have been primary occupations of the prehistoric visitors to this site.
The Borax Lake Pattern, well documented for the early period for inland high elevation sites and river terraces, now also includes a known occupation site in a coastal setting.
Analysis, testing and report preparation are currently in progress by Lois Card, a graduating senior in Anthropology/Native American Studies and the current archaeology laboratory curator, under the supervision of James Roscoe, archaeological instructor.
Artifact Samples from CA-HUM-513/H |
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