VAFB-1988-05a: The Testing and Evaluation of Fourteen Archaeological Sites on South Vandenberg Air Force Base, Santa Barbara County, California

Abstract

This document is a report that discusses the testing of fourteen archaeological sites on Lompoc Mesa, Santa Barbara County, California, and reviews the findings from the perspectives of changing geomorphology, sea level fluctuations, and effective environment as well as the more traditional culture history and culture process perspectives. The sites are clustered in the vicinity of canyons, and both prehistoric and historical sites are represented. Detailed descriptions of the history of the area, the geomorphology and its potential effect on human occupation, soil stratigraphy, chronology, and the lithic assemblages are included. Comprehension of the soil stratigraphy and lithics is somewhat hampered by the lack of illustrations for the stratigraphy and lithic assemblage chapters, for which labor was not authorized. Excavations at two sites, SBA-537 and 1816, have provided significant insight into human adaptation on Lompoc Mesa during the Late period. The report concludes with a review of the research findings in terms of the regional and historic context and with recommendations for the management of the resources relative to planned construction. Technical appendices present the results of faunal and shell analyses, and include a proposed research design and treatment plan for data recovery.