Abstract:
Research on San Nicolas Island prehistory currently describes an aboriginal maritime adaptation which appeared about 6,800 years ago. Faunal data from the stratified site of SNI-11 indicate an early procurement strategy dominated by shellfish gathering and supplemented by fish, sea-mammal and bird resources. This economy evolved into a broader-based strategy which focused upon the diverse range of species foraging and inhabiting the kelp beds and in which smaller pinniped and cetacean species played an important role.