Contemporary Issues in California Archaeology

Recent archaeological research on California includes a greater diversity of models and approaches to the region’s past as older literature on the subject struggles to stay relevant. This comprehensive volume offers an in-depth look at the most recent theoretical and empirical developments in the field including key controversies relevant to the Golden State: coastal colonization impacts of comets and drought cycles systems of power Polynesian contacts and the role of indigenous peoples in the research process among others. With a specific emphasis on those aspects of California’s past that resonate with the state’s modern cultural identity the editors and contributors—all leading figures in California archaeology—seek a new understanding of the myth and mystique of the Golden State.