Intercultural Colonization and the Landscape: The Historical Archaeology of San Emigdio, South Central California

Abstract

This thesis looks at the systems of value of ownership and sense of belonging as they play out in the landscape during the transition from the Spanish/Mexican period into the American period, on a south central Californian landscape of the San Emigdio Hills. Drawing upon a variety of source material, from other disciplines and from the historical record (primarily maps, photographs, historic accounts, and census records), the themes are developed to provide an understanding of what ownership means in an intercultural landscape. Themes of ownership and sense of belonging are developed through the theorizations of colonialism (with the idea of systems of value; Gosden 2004), object and landscape biographies (as suggested by Ashmore 2009, Joy 2009, Marshall and Gosden 1999), with some reference to landscape theory (Ashmore 2009, Zedona and Bowser 2009). As case studies, two canyons within the San Emigdio Hills are considered, San Emigdio and Santiago Canyon.
The two canyons provide a multi-scalar approach to the discussion of ownership and sense of belonging. San Emigdio Canyon provides the larger picture; how the interaction between owners and renters can be seen archaeologically, as each leave distinct impressions on the landscape. Santiago Canyon provides a more intimate view of how the inhabitants (possibly one family) have created a sense of belonging. These case studies are used to show how we can study a people’s sense of belonging to the landscape through the way they have personalized their living spaces.