Jennie Burgess ID#33539650
What is significant about the DjWr-14 or Leader’s Cemetery site? What was found and
what did archaeologists learn from it? Be specific and link the findings to major themes
or processes touched on in the course so far.
The significance from the DjWr-14 site is what was found in the remains. The DjWr-14
site contained 5 bodies in 4 graves, all presumed to be from the same family. The family
consisted of an older man, a young woman, two young men, and a 3 month old baby. In these
graves were thousands of hand crafted beads made from stone and shell. The number of beads
varied between the graves. Over 300,000 stone beads were recovered from the burial of the
older man6,000 stone beads and over 3,000 shell beads recovered from the young women's
burials. The meaning behind these beads is not clear, however archaeologists used this
information to understand something greater about the culture of the people who lived there.
The Early Pacific period had numerous social transformations. Evidence of social stratification,
wealth and status differentiation, can be seen through the idea of these beads. The different
number of beads in specific graves can tell archaeologists that these beads could have been
used to determine power and social ranking within the family and in the community. It also
explained how social hierarchy can become hereditary with the beads found in the graves of the
younger men. This suggested that the older man could have possibly been a powerful chief. As
the communities of the Pacific developed, social hierarchy became more prominent. Some of
the other examples include totem poles and potlatches. These practices and burial rituals show
important insight into how these people lived.
Discuss the development of acorn processing in California (chronology, technology) and
explain why archaeologists consider this technology and this form of subsistence to be a
significant innovation. What do archaeologists think the culture around acorn foodways
tells us about past societies?
The development of acorn processing in California was a major technological
development for the people living there in the Middle Holocene. Stemming from the
development of the mortar and pestle, it allowed for the usage of rich oak forests as a food
source. The process started with drying the acorns out to make them easier to grind down to a
flour. After the flour was made it had to be leached before eaten. It could be used in numerous
ways such as soup, bread, mush, and biscuits. Archaeologists consider this technology to be
significant innovation because it highlights the development of manufacturing. The mortar and
pestle allowed them to open up a new door to obtaining food. It also held significant meaning
displaying dynamics between culture, food and environment. The culture behind the acorn
processing is what archaeologists consider to be greatly important. This is because the acorn
foodways give us important knowledge of how indigenous people lived their daily lives. The
usage of the mortar and pestle became widespread and the consumption of acorns grew
intensely. This meant that their rituals and their meals almost always contained acorns. They
became a staple item because of their availability, productivity, storability, and nutritional
content. According to USDA research Acorn mush is an important component today of many
