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2.32 - The Pacific Coast of North America

from VI. - The Americas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2014

By
Terry L. Jones
Edited by
Colin Renfrew  and
Paul Bahn
Terry L. Jones
Affiliation:
California Polytechnic State University
Colin Renfrew
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
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Summary

The Pacific Coast of North America, extending from 23° to 60° N latitude, encompasses three broad environmental-cultural areas: the Northwest Coast (the western flank of the coastal mountains of British Columbia and the Cascades), Alta California and the Baja California Peninsula (Map 2.32.1). Throughout its prehistory the region was the domain of hunter-gatherers who varied in population density and relative sociopolitical complexity (Fig. 2.32.1), but cultivated no crops other than tobacco. Understanding of the region’s prehistory has advanced dramatically in the last two or three decades as a result of refined radiocarbon dating and increased recognition of the coast as a corridor for linear travel and cultural transmission (e.g., see Stanford 2006: 18). The latter contributed substantially to evolution of the diverse ethnolinguistic mosaic recorded in the region historically.

Environment

Rainfall generally decreases from north to south, with areas of the northern Northwest Coast recording 240–325 cm per year (Suttles 1990: 18), while some portions of the Baja Peninsula deserts receive zero precipitation per year. The Northwest Coast, Alta California and northern Baja receive most of their rain during the winters, which are relatively mild. The southern half of the Baja Peninsula receives its rainfall in the summer from monsoons. River systems are more substantial in the north and provide resources and habitat suitable for riverine adaptations. Baja California lacks this resource base.

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The Cambridge World Prehistory , pp. 1256 - 1273
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2014

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