Investigations at an eroded shell midden reveal direct evidence for fur seal hunting and diverse subsistence strategies on Late Holocene Santa Rosa (Wima) Island, California

Sea level rise and marine erosion threaten coastal archaeological sites around the world, forcing difficult decisions about how to prioritize which sites to document and analyze. Here we present the results of research at a heavily eroded Late Holocene shell midden at CA-SRI-26, Santa Rosa Island, California. Systematic surface collection and radiocarbon dating of the site revealed an assemblage that is about 1400 years old and contains a variety of shellfish, bird, fish, and mammal remains, stone and bone tools, and matted sea grass (Phyllospadix sp.). Of the more remarkable finds is a humerus from a subadult Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalis towndsendi) with a projectile point tip lodged in the bone. This rare archaeological example of direct marine mammal hunting and other evidence for diverse marine foraging activities demonstrate the research value of eroded sites threatened by rising seas around the world.