Three archaeological sites on California’s Channel Islands show that Paleoindians relied heavily on marine resources. The
Paleocoastal sites, dated between ~12,200 and 11,200 years ago, contain numerous stemmed projectile points and crescents associated
with a variety of marine and aquatic faunal remains. At site CA-SRI-512 on Santa Rosa Island, Paleocoastal peoples used such
tools to capture
... [Show full abstract] geese, cormorants, and other birds, along with marine mammals and finfish. At Cardwell Bluffs on San Miguel
Island, Paleocoastal peoples collected local chert cobbles, worked them into bifaces and projectile points, and discarded
thousands of marine shells. With bifacial technologies similar to those seen in Western Pluvial Lakes Tradition assemblages
of western North America, the sites provide evidence for seafaring and island colonization by Paleoindians with a diversified
maritime economy.