I analyzed 68 charmstones found during complete exacavation of a prehistoric site CA-CCO-548 near Brentwood, California.

My analysis departed from past research by taking a different approach. In sum, it has not been possible to tell whether they were used for pragmatic or ritual purposes, by whom, and in what specific places and times. But insights into their function, periods of use, and cultural affiliation remain ambiguous because they are rare, found in a variety of settings, and presumed to have limited value as temporal indicators. The most ambitious prior investigations sought to establish their relative age and gross patterns of distribution (Elsasser 1955 Elsasser and Rhode 1996 Gifford and Schenck 1926 Ragir 1972). Despite that longstanding fascination, however, surprisingly few specimens have been directly dated and as a result, systematic analysis has been hampered. CharmstonesĬharmstones have interested archaeologists from the time Yates (1890) first applied the term to various plummet-shaped stones found in Central California sites. To begin, I am posting a piece about Charmstones. You may also be interested in some of my articles on previous research, as well as musings on local history. This page is devoted to my research interests and new posts will be added from time to time. The intent is not to produce a single 'correct' version of the past, but instead to honestly explore and share the diverse stories, perspectives, and trajectory of cultural interactions over time as they are revealed in those various sources of data. That is the impetus for my investigations. What happened among people who left no written record? Can we also gain deeper insights about people with literate traditions that go beyond the incomplete and often biased narratives preserved in documents? Comparing material remains, records, and oral history is the most satisfatory way to approach accurate reconstruction of the human journey. Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Republic of, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guernsey, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Korea, South, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Martinique, Mexico, Monaco, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, UruguayĪfghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan Republic, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Congo, Republic of the, Cook Islands, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Fiji, French Polynesia, Gabon Republic, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guam, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Suriname, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (U.S.Archaeology is about discovery, not in the acquisitive manner of looters and treasure hunters, but in the true spirit of curiosity and sharing the human past.

Charmstone figurine