Cultural Anthropology: The Survival of Folk Cultures - Rancheros of the Baja Peninsula

Peninsular California: Terra Incognita of North American Prehistory

  • Arid and Coastal Lands Prehistory Project:
    • Sponsored by the Hewlett Foundation.
    • Aims to train U.S. and Mexican archaeologists for heritage conservation and ecotourism.
    • Example: The Living Roots of History in Baja California (YouTube video).
    • Focuses on protecting resources from tourism growth.
    • Involves basic archaeological research.
    • Project area spans from San Diego/Tijuana to La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, including Piedra Pintada.

Early European Settlement

  • 1534: Hernan Cortes establishes La Paz.
  • 1690s: Permanent European settlement begins along with the construction of missions.

Proto-Historic Las Palmas Culture

  • Characterized primarily by human burials.
  • William Massey, a Berkeley archaeologist, conducted initial professional archaeological investigations in the 1940s and 1950s.

Project Study Area

  • Located in Baja California Sur, including areas like San Pablo Canyon and the central Sierra of the Cape Region.
  • Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortes.

Resources

  • Availability of water and diverse plant and animal resources.
  • Deciduous tropical forests found in the canyons.

Folk Cultures

  • Defined by distinct history, language, customs, music, foods, and settlement patterns.
  • Often persist within larger societies due to geographic or socio-economic isolation.
  • Traditional ranchero culture of Baja California was introduced by Spanish and other European settlers in the 1700s.
  • Ranchero culture is an adaptation to the region’s rugged, isolated landscapes.
  • Resembles pioneer or ranching communities of 19th century America, emphasizing self-sufficiency.

El Rancho Ancon Grande

  • Serves as a base of operations.

Camp Infrastructure

  • Includes solar panels for electricity.
  • Latrine.
  • Showers.

Traditional Rancho Life Ways

  • Living historical archaeology demonstrates little change from the Spanish Colonial Era.

Traditional Ranch Life

  • Includes cheese making.

Traditional Food-Ways

  • Learning to make tortillas, drying meat, preparing tamales, and making chorizo.

Archaeology and Testing

  • Archaeological testing of a prehistoric earth-oven.
  • Radiocarbon dating: 14C = 810 \,\pm\, 70 \, B.P., calibrated to approximately A.D. 1240.

Soil Testing

  • Testing with soil auger and pits.
  • Excavations carried out under rock formations.

Stratified Sediments

  • Deeply stratified sediments containing cultural material.

Recording Cultural Features

  • Recording of cultural features and midden sampling.

Hearths and Tools

  • Hearths, dietary bone fragments, carbonaceous midden, and stone tools are found.
  • Metate stone tools.
  • Radiocarbon dating: 14C = 860 \, \pm \, 60 \, B.P., calibrated to approximately A.D. 1190.

Geological Survey of San Pablo Canyon

  • High-energy sediment transport observed.
  • Faulting and deformation of rock.
  • Sampling rock from volcanic dikes.

Corazón Vaquero

  • YouTube video link provided: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gycdok8tHZU