Playa Vista Archaeological and Historical Project, Volume 1: Research Design

• Main Authors: Altschul, Jeffrey H., Ciolek-Torrello, Richard S., Homburg, Jeffrey A., Swanson, Mark T.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: SRI Press 1991
• Subjects: Westchester Bluffs; Del Rey Hills; Playa del Rey, CA; Playa del Rey Bluffs; Mar Vista, CA; Venice, CA; Ballona Wetlands; Marina del Rey, CA; Santa Monica, CA; Ballona Escarpment; Ballona Gap; Santa Monica Bay; Centinela Creek; El Segundo Sandhills; Aguaje de la Centinela; Rancho La Ballona; Cienega o Paso del la Tijera; Sausal Redondo; Santa Monica Mountains; Westchester, CA; Culver City, CA; Los Angeles River; Beverly Hills; Ballona Lagoon; Baldwin Hills; Los Angeles County County; Ballona Creek; Rincon DE Los Bueyes; Los Angeles, CA; Palos Verdes Hills; Playa Vista, CA; Historic; Protohistoric; Millingstone Horizon; Middle Horizon; Late Prehistoric Horizon; Japanese American; Historic Native American; Shoshonean; Gabrielino; Spanish; CA-LAn-62b; CA-LAn-211b; Playa del Rey Site #4; Mar Vista site; LA-136; CA-LAn-54; Redondo Wilmington Site; CA-LAn-78; LA-29; Deane's Broken Mortar site; Deane's Site #1; CA-LAn-60; CA-LAn-62; CA-LAn-193; CA-LAn-211; CA-LAn-1698; CA-LAn-211a; Funerary and Burial Structures or Features; Water-Related; Shipping-Related Structure; Cremation; Inhumation; Non-Domestic Structures; Horse Stable; Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex; Settlements; Encampment; Hamlet / Village; Stable; Shell Scatter; Oil Well Complex; Concrete Block; Mound / Earthwork; Concrete Ramp; Oil Derrick Footing; Gate; Corporate Headquarters; Burial; Machine Shop; Aircraft Production Center; Village; Structure; Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features; Historic Structure; Archaeological Feature; Industrial Complex; Artifact Scatter; Mining Complex; Ramp; Reservoir; Pier; Fence; Riding Ring; Commercial or Industrial Structures; Isolated Artifact; Shell Midden; Factory / Workshop; Midden; Trash Midden; Mine-Related Structures; Road, Trail, and Related Structures or Features; Post Hole / Post Mold; Lithic Scatter; Road; Patterned Ware; Steatite; Deer Bone; Ironstone; Pismo Clam Tivela stultorum; Rubber; Aluminum; Tar; California Colored Dinnerware; Brass; Concrete; Chione sp.; Porcelain; Soapstone/Steatite; Fish; Mammal; Metavolcanic Rock; Monterey Chert; Steel; Oyster Ostrea sp.; Scallop Pecten sp.; Whiteware; Abalone Haliotis sp.; Chert; Deer; Basalt; Abalone; Oyster; Sandstone; Obsidian; Quartzite; California Horn Snail Cerithidia californica; California Horn Snail Cerithideopsis californica; Volcanic Rock; Onyx Slipper Snail Crepidula onyx; Clear Glass; Amethyst Glass; Brown Glass; Flow Blue; American Majolica?; Black Abalone Haliotis cracherodii; Stoneware; Annular Ware; Iron; Pacific Littleneck Protothaca staminea; Spiny Pricklycockle Trachycardium quadragenarium; Lewis's Moon Snail Polinices lewisii; Lewis's Moon Snail Neverita lewisii; Spiny Pricklycockle Dallocardia quadragenaria; Protothaca sp.; Mollusk; Native Pacific Oyster Ostrea lurida; California Tagelus Tagelus californianus; Pacific Littleneck Leukoma staminea; Purple Dwarf Olive Olivella biplicata; California Venus Chione californiensis; Chalcedony; Smooth Venus Chione fluctifraga; Frilled Venus Chione undatella; Washington Clam Saxidomus nuttallii; Marine Snail; Marine Clam; Marine Scallop; Saxidomus nuttallii; Ceramic; Chipped Stone; Fauna; Fire Cracked Rock; Glass; Ground Stone; Building Materials; Human Remains; Macrobotanical; Metal; Mineral; Shell; Wood; Bone; Plastic; Green Glass; Asphaltum; Majolica; Earthenware; Wire Nail; Bone Animal; Projectile Point; Chalcedony Flake; Whistle; Bowl; Awl; Automobile; Cottonwood Triangular Projectile Point; Ash; Obsidian Flake; Bead; Bone Whistle; Scraper; Tire; Basalt Flake; Debitage; Chopper; Shell Bead; Cobble; Thatcher Manufacturing Co.; Worked Bone; Bone Bead; Core; Lithic Debitage; Bone Human; Shaft Straightener; Nail; Arrow Point; Purple Dwarf Olive Olivella biplicata Beads; Fish Bone Bead; Flake; Metavolcanic Flake; Quartzite Flake; Monterey Chert Flake; Deer Bone Whistle; Hammering Stone; Shell Bowl; Abalone Shell Bowl; Flake Tool; Brass Lipstick Case; Rubber Tire; Flexed Burial; Human Toe Boe; Lipstick Case; Burned Bone Animal; Steel Projectile; Radio; Tarring Pebble; Plastic Radio; Playa del Rey Field; Pestle; Cox Stable; Shotgun Cartridge; Venice Oil Field; Wallace China; Syracuse China; Wooden Wheel; Howard Hughes Industrial Complex; Food Remains; Owens-Illinois Pacific Coast Co.; Tool; Bone Awl; Fishhook; Mortar; Archaeological Overview; Historic Background Research; Heritage Management; Research Design / Data Recovery Plan; Site Evaluation / Testing; Pacific; Baldwin; Venus; Redondo; Pacific oyster
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6067/xcv8p271p7; https://core.tdar.org/document/400874/playa-vista-archaeological-and-historical-project-volume-1-research-design

The Playa Vista Archaeological and Historical Project is a multi-step comprehensive approach designed to achieve compliance with applicable Municipal, State, and Federal laws and regulations protecting cultural resources. This document represents the first step: the completion of a project specific research design that presents current knowledge of the cultural resources in the project area and outlines future steps to mitigate potential impacts of the proposed project. To complete the research design two tasks were undertaken. First, a thorough archival search was conducted. Background information on the environment, prehistory, and history of the area was collected and synthesized. In addition data on six previously recorded prehistoric and several historic locations were obtained from knowledgeable individuals, published and unpublished reports, and historic maps. The background information provides the framework for the development of historic contexts from which the potential eligibility for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places for each particular resource is assessed. The historic contexts developed for Playa Vista are (1) man-land relationships, (2) culture history and cultural dynamics, and (3) historic development of the Ballona. The second task completed for the research design was a pedestrian survey of the 1,087-acre Playa Vista project area. Seventeen temporary site numbers and five isolated find designations were assigned during the survey. Of the 17 sites, 4 appear to be composed of redeposited historic material and 4 others, consisted solely of dark soil with shell remains. The remaining 9 sites consist of 3 historic sites and 6 prehistoric sites, 3 of which had been previously recorded. Because much of the surface in the project area is either obscured by fill or disturbed, it is possible that the pedestrian survey may not have located all the sites, especially prehistoric sites. Recommendations are made to continue the inventory using subsurface probing. The report is organized in two parts. Part I, which consists of Chapters 1 through 6, presents background information on the prehistoric and historic occupations of the project area, identifies appropriate historic contexts through which the potential eligibility of properties for inclusion in the National Register is assessed, and describes the current knowledge of cultural resources in the project area. Part II, contained in Chapters 7 and 8, focuses on National Register evaluation and compliance issues.