Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

Archaeologists have long made assumptions about the use and meaning of the variety of perforated stones found in the Santa Barbara Channel region. Those assumptions have focused on where the stones are most likely to be found, who used the stones, and the purpose for which the stones were employed. A systematic study of 525 perforated stones in museum collections was undertaken to evaluate the validity of these assumptions. During the course of the study, thirteen perforated stone types were identi ed on the basis of stylistic attributes, and use wear and metric data were analyzed in an attempt to discern the function of each type of perforated stone. Burial records from 454 Chumash internments on Santa Cruz Island were then consulted to determine which segments of the population may have used the stones and whether that demographic may have changed over time.