Mark Q Sutton
Biographic Data
| ID | 273689 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mark Q Sutton |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mark Q |
| FAMILY NAME | Sutton |
| SIGNATURE | SUTTON M Q |
| AFFILIATIONS | California State University, Bakersfield |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2065-5157 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 40 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 79 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 40 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1989 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Fish and Fishing in the Southern Columbia Plateau and Northwestern Great Basin during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene: A Review
Fish remains in Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene sites in the southern Columbia Plateau and northwestern Great Basin and artifactual evidence of fish exploitation indicate local Paleoindians exploited fishes. There is no significant difference in the proportion of assemblages with fish and the proportion of assemblages without fish in each area. The percentage of assemblages with anthropogenically deposited fish remains decreases over time in both…
Archaeology: The Science of the Human Past
Native Peoples of the Northeast
Native Peoples of the Arctic
The Archaeological Record
An Introduction to Native North America
An Introduction to Native North America provides a basic introduction to the Native peoples of North America, covering what are now the United States, northern Mexico, and Canada. In this updated and revised new edition, Mark Q. Sutton has expanded and improved the existing text, adding to the case studies, updating the text with the latest research, increasing the number of images, providing more coverage of the Arctic regions, and including new…
Family Plots: Patterns of Neanderthal Violence and Body Manipulation
A small number of European sites contain Neanderthal remains that had been modified and manipulated; patterns are often interpreted as reflecting cannibalism. A study of the demographic profiles at these sites indicates the likely presence of related social units, families, which appear to have been killed at the same time, defleshed, dismembered, fragmented, and discarded. It is proposed that this pattern reflects extreme interpersonal violence …
News and Notes
A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
This book offers a concise and accessible overview of cultural anthropology for those coming to the subject for the first time. It introduces key areas of the discipline and touches on its historical developments and applied aspects. As well as traditional topics such as social organization, politics, and economics, the book engages with important contemporary issues including race, gender, sexuality, and colonialism. In a beginner-friendly forma…
Assessing the Validity of Mojave Desert Lake Mohave and Silver Lake Projectile-Point Types
This study uses univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to assess whether Lake Mohave and Silver Lake projectile points from the Mojave Desert of western North America are statistically discrete, recognizable, and valid types. Univariate analyses run on 400 Lake Mohave and Silver Lake points reveal significant differences in six linear and three angle measures, though overlapping measurements pose difficulties for differentiating the typ…
Envisioning a Western Clovis Ritual Complex
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the initial migrants into the Americas arrived via the Pacific coastal route prior to the inception of the Clovis complex. It further appears that these initial immigrants had non-Clovis technology and a generalized (or broad spectrum) economy with little use of the megafauna in their midst. Once developed, Clovis, marked by a different lithic technology, quickly spread over most of the Americas as far so…
Archaeology: The Science of the Human Past
Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
A very short history of cultural anthropology
The Archaeological Record
The Buttonwillow Complex: A Proposed Western Stemmed Tradition Variant in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, California
In the mid-twentieth century, excavations at the Buena Vista Lake site (CA-KER-116) in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California resulted in the identification of a deposit dating from the early Holocene characterized as a San Dieguito variant. This deposit contained several fragmentary points, crescents, faunal remains, and large features consisting of processed freshwater bivalves. Since the 1960s, the Buena Vista Lake site was the sole wel…
Reassessing the Paleoindian Witt Archaeological Locality, Tulare Lake, San Joaquin Valley, California
In the late 1960s, a portion of a private artifact collection obtained from the “Witt site,” located along the southwestern shoreline of Tulare Lake in California, was described. Included were fluted “Clovis-like” points, stemmed points, and crescents believed to reflect Paleoindian occupation(s). Subsequently, the Witt site has been seen as being one of three “major Clovis localities” known in California. Since the late 1980s, other private coll…
Observations Regarding the Cerutti Mastodon
It has been argued that the Cerutti Mastodon site in southern California contains evidence of human activity 130,000 years ago. A brief examination of the materials did not support the claim of cultural artifacts or of bone processed by hominins. The assemblage from the site can be much better explained as a natural deposit, likely disturbed by other mastodons soon after the death of their comrade. Given the brevity of our study, it is important …
Cultural Ecology
Cultural ecology, a subdivision and approach in human ecology, is the anthropological study of the relationships and interactions between humans, their cultures, and their physical environments. Cultural ecologists study many aspects of culture and environment, including how and why cultures do what they do to solve their subsistence problems, how groups of people understand their environment, and how they share their knowledge of the environment
Paleoindian Colonization by Boat? Refining the Coastal Model
Many archaeologists now generally accept the idea that Paleoindians initially entered the Americas traversing the northwestern coastline possibly in conjunction with an ice-free corridor, and arrived south of the ice before 15,000 calendar years ago. A common theme of the coastal model is an emphasis on maritime resources with an adaptation broadly characterized as seafaring with seaworthy boats. While coastal Paleoindians did have a maritime ada…
Paleoindian-Era Osseous Rods: Distribution, Dating, and Function
Paleoindian osseous technology includes a number of artifact categories, including at least four types of “rods” (straight uni-beveled, straight bi-beveled, curved uni-beveled, and bi-pointed). An analysis of the distribution and dating of known examples of such artifacts from contexts across North America leads to the proposal that osseous rod technology was first developed by Clovis-era people; that the bi-beveled type was confined to Clovis ti…
The “Fishing Link”: Salmonids and the Initial Peopling of the Americas
Archaeological evidence of the use of anadromous salmonids is widespread across northeastern Asia, Beringia, and well into the northwestern portion of North America. Here it is proposed that after the last glacial maximum, the initial colonists into the Americas migrated from northeastern Asia along the newly exposed coast of Beringia and North America, drawn by salmonids that had colonized the newly formed streams and rivers all along the coast.…
Warfare and Expansion: An Ethnohistoric Perspective on the Numic Spread
This chapter explains a one line of evidence regarding both the merit and method of a Numic spread are the ethnographic and ethnohistoric data. One of the major questions inherent in the analysis of the hypothesis is how, in what many view as a marginal environment, could one hunter-gatherer population expand and replace another. The importance of the ethnohistoric data relating to movements of Numic peoples and their neighbors just prior to dire…
An Introduction to Native North America
An Introduction to Native North America provides a basic introduction to the Native Peoples of North America, covering what are now the United States, northern Mexico, and Canada. It covers the history of research, basic prehistory, the European invasion and the impact of Europeans on Native cultures. A final chapter covers contemporary Native Americans, including issues of religion, health, and politics. In this updated and revised new edition, …
Prehistory of North America
A Prehistory of North America covers the ever-evolving understanding of the prehistory of North America, from its initial colonization, through the development of complex societies, and up to contact with Europeans.This book is the most up-to-date treatment of the prehistory of North America. In addition, it is organized by culture area in order to serve as a companion volume to “An Introduction to Native North America.” It also includes an exten…
Prehistory of North America
A Prehistory of North America covers the ever-evolving understanding of the prehistory of North America, from its initial colonization, through the development of complex societies, and up to contact with Europeans.This book is the most up-to-date treatment of the prehistory of North America. In addition, it is organized by culture area in order to serve as a companion volume to “An Introduction to Native North America.” It also includes an exten…
Archaeological aspects of insect use
Cluster analysis of the coprolites from antelope house: Implications for anasazi diet and cuisine
Immunological Protein Residue Analysis of Non-lithic Archaeological Materials
Paleoindian-Era Osseous Rods: Distribution, Dating, and Function
Paleoindian osseous technology includes a number of artifact categories, including at least four types of “rods” (straight uni-beveled, straight bi-beveled, curved uni-beveled, and bi-pointed). An analysis of the distribution and dating of known examples of such artifacts from contexts across North America leads to the proposal that osseous rod technology was first developed by Clovis-era people; that the bi-beveled type was confined to Clovis ti…
Insects as Food: Aboriginal Entomophagy in the Great Basin
The Anasazi Abandonment of the San Juan Drainage and the Numic Expansion
The nature of the Numic expansion into the southwestern United States, the fortified nature of Pueblo III Anasazi sites, and the close temporal correspondence between the expansion of Numic speakers and the Anasazi abandonment of the San Juan River drainage by 1300 AD lead to the interpretation that population relocations in late prehistoric times were precipitated by Southern Paiute and Ute activities
Reassessing the Paleoindian Witt Archaeological Locality, Tulare Lake, San Joaquin Valley, California
In the late 1960s, a portion of a private artifact collection obtained from the “Witt site,” located along the southwestern shoreline of Tulare Lake in California, was described. Included were fluted “Clovis-like” points, stemmed points, and crescents believed to reflect Paleoindian occupation(s). Subsequently, the Witt site has been seen as being one of three “major Clovis localities” known in California. Since the late 1980s, other private coll…
Strategy and Tactic in the Analysis of Archaeological Hunter-Gatherer Systems
Archaeologists studying past cultural systems commonly employ the concept of strategy to characterize both general and specific aspects of those systems. It is herein argued that a “strategy” is a plan; a general concept or blueprint conceived to achieve a goal. The fulfillment of a strategy requires that specific, lower-order, actions be taken. These actions are tactics—small-scale activities that generate a material record. It is the patterned …
Observations Regarding the Cerutti Mastodon
It has been argued that the Cerutti Mastodon site in southern California contains evidence of human activity 130,000 years ago. A brief examination of the materials did not support the claim of cultural artifacts or of bone processed by hominins. The assemblage from the site can be much better explained as a natural deposit, likely disturbed by other mastodons soon after the death of their comrade. Given the brevity of our study, it is important …
Defining Level 1 at Malaga Cove (CA-LAN-138), California
Since its primary excavation in the 1930s, the Malaga Cove site has been entangled in controversy regarding its stratigraphy, the merit of its Level 1 assemblage, and the age of Level 1. Having a portion of the original field catalog and unpublished photographs and maps from the site, coupled with an analysis of the published data, we were able to address each of these issues. We conclude that the stratigraphy proposed in the original report (Wal…
Approaches to Linguistic Prehistory
Tracing the movements of languages through space and time is a most difficult task. The current interpretation of archaeological data alone are insufficient to determine linguistic prehistory with reasonable confidence. Presented herein is a coordinated approach that incorporates information from a variety of subdisciplines in an attempt to trace the movement of cultures and languages through time. The development of concordant lines of evidence …
Late Prehistoric Interaction Spheres in the Mojave Desert
The delineation of ethnic units using archaeological data is always difficult. Material culture, settlement, and trade data are used to define three interaction spheres in the Mojave Desert. These units are not directly equated to ethnic groups but their boundaries roughly follow those of the ethnographic groups claiming the region. The results suggest that there may be definable archaeological differences between linguistic groups in the Mojave …
The Anasazi Abandonment of the San Juan Drainage and the Numic Expansion
The nature of the Numic expansion into the southwestern United States, the fortified nature of Pueblo III Anasazi sites, and the close temporal correspondence between the expansion of Numic speakers and the Anasazi abandonment of the San Juan River drainage by 1300 AD lead to the interpretation that population relocations in late prehistoric times were precipitated by Southern Paiute and Ute activities
Insects as Food: Aboriginal Entomophagy in the Great Basin
Approaches to Linguistic Prehistory
Tracing the movements of languages through space and time is a most difficult task. The current interpretation of archaeological data alone are insufficient to determine linguistic prehistory with reasonable confidence. Presented herein is a coordinated approach that incorporates information from a variety of subdisciplines in an attempt to trace the movement of cultures and languages through time. The development of concordant lines of evidence …
Immunological Protein Residue Analysis of Non-lithic Archaeological Materials
Characterization of Natural Products on Native American Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials From the Great Basin Region, U.S.A: A Preliminary Study
Although documentary evidence provided by ethnographers makes reference to the source of adhesives, sealants, dyestuffs and medicines used by the communities of the Great Basin, much of it is sporadic and unspecified. However, observations of amorphous deposits surviving on stone tools, ceramics, basketry and wooden artefacts have prompted an investigation of their identity, procurement and use. The aim initially is to study samples from a number…
Archaeological aspects of insect use
Cluster analysis of the coprolites from antelope house: Implications for anasazi diet and cuisine
Cluster Analysis of Paleofecal Data Sets: A Test of Late Prehistoric Settlement and Subsistence Patterns in the Northern Coachella Valley, California
Data from human paleofecal samples can be used to address a variety of questions, primarily the reconstruction of diet, but also the analysis of nutrition, health, technology, and behavior Statistical analyses of constituents can be used to broaden the potential of paleofecal data, as well as to detail cuisine and to address larger issues of settlement/subsistence models. This potential is illustrated with a cluster analysis of paleofecal constit…
Strategy and Tactic in the Analysis of Archaeological Hunter-Gatherer Systems
Archaeologists studying past cultural systems commonly employ the concept of strategy to characterize both general and specific aspects of those systems. It is herein argued that a “strategy” is a plan; a general concept or blueprint conceived to achieve a goal. The fulfillment of a strategy requires that specific, lower-order, actions be taken. These actions are tactics—small-scale activities that generate a material record. It is the patterned …
Analysis of possible paleofecal samples from Pellejo Chico Alto, Peru: Results and lessons
A Reevaluation of Early Northern Uto-Aztecan Prehistory in Alta California
Northern Uto-Aztecan (NUA) has generally been viewed as consisting of four branches, each with a prehistoric trajectory culminating in their ethnographic language distributions. A proposed revision in the classification of NUA based on new linguistic and archaeological data suggests that these prehistoric trajectories should be reconsidered. Specifically, placing Tubatulabal within the Takic branch of NUA requires a new model of the prehistory of…
Avocados to Millingstones: Papers in Honor of D. L. True. Edited by Georgie Waugh and Mark E. Basgall
Avocados to Millingstones: Papers in Honor of D. L. True. Edited by Georgie Waugh and Mark E. Basgall." California Archaeology, 2(1), pp. 119–120
Defining Level 1 at Malaga Cove (CA-LAN-138), California
Since its primary excavation in the 1930s, the Malaga Cove site has been entangled in controversy regarding its stratigraphy, the merit of its Level 1 assemblage, and the age of Level 1. Having a portion of the original field catalog and unpublished photographs and maps from the site, coupled with an analysis of the published data, we were able to address each of these issues. We conclude that the stratigraphy proposed in the original report (Wal…
Prehistory of North America
A Prehistory of North America covers the ever-evolving understanding of the prehistory of North America, from its initial colonization, through the development of complex societies, and up to contact with Europeans.This book is the most up-to-date treatment of the prehistory of North America. In addition, it is organized by culture area in order to serve as a companion volume to “An Introduction to Native North America.” It also includes an exten…
An Introduction to Native North America -- Pearson eText
An Introduction to Native North America provides a basic introduction to the native peoples of North America, including both the United States and Canada. It covers the history of research, basic prehistory, the European invasion and the impact of Europeans on Native cultures. Additionally, much of the book is written from the perspective of the ethnographic present, and the various cultures are described as they were at the specific times noted …
Warfare and Expansion: An Ethnohistoric Perspective on the Numic Spread
This chapter explains a one line of evidence regarding both the merit and method of a Numic spread are the ethnographic and ethnohistoric data. One of the major questions inherent in the analysis of the hypothesis is how, in what many view as a marginal environment, could one hunter-gatherer population expand and replace another. The importance of the ethnohistoric data relating to movements of Numic peoples and their neighbors just prior to dire…
An Introduction to Native North America
An Introduction to Native North America provides a basic introduction to the Native Peoples of North America, covering what are now the United States, northern Mexico, and Canada. It covers the history of research, basic prehistory, the European invasion and the impact of Europeans on Native cultures. A final chapter covers contemporary Native Americans, including issues of religion, health, and politics. In this updated and revised new edition, …
The “Fishing Link”: Salmonids and the Initial Peopling of the Americas
Archaeological evidence of the use of anadromous salmonids is widespread across northeastern Asia, Beringia, and well into the northwestern portion of North America. Here it is proposed that after the last glacial maximum, the initial colonists into the Americas migrated from northeastern Asia along the newly exposed coast of Beringia and North America, drawn by salmonids that had colonized the newly formed streams and rivers all along the coast.…
Cultural Ecology
Cultural ecology, a subdivision and approach in human ecology, is the anthropological study of the relationships and interactions between humans, their cultures, and their physical environments. Cultural ecologists study many aspects of culture and environment, including how and why cultures do what they do to solve their subsistence problems, how groups of people understand their environment, and how they share their knowledge of the environment
Paleoindian Colonization by Boat? Refining the Coastal Model
Many archaeologists now generally accept the idea that Paleoindians initially entered the Americas traversing the northwestern coastline possibly in conjunction with an ice-free corridor, and arrived south of the ice before 15,000 calendar years ago. A common theme of the coastal model is an emphasis on maritime resources with an adaptation broadly characterized as seafaring with seaworthy boats. While coastal Paleoindians did have a maritime ada…
Paleoindian-Era Osseous Rods: Distribution, Dating, and Function
Paleoindian osseous technology includes a number of artifact categories, including at least four types of “rods” (straight uni-beveled, straight bi-beveled, curved uni-beveled, and bi-pointed). An analysis of the distribution and dating of known examples of such artifacts from contexts across North America leads to the proposal that osseous rod technology was first developed by Clovis-era people; that the bi-beveled type was confined to Clovis ti…
The Buttonwillow Complex: A Proposed Western Stemmed Tradition Variant in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, California
In the mid-twentieth century, excavations at the Buena Vista Lake site (CA-KER-116) in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California resulted in the identification of a deposit dating from the early Holocene characterized as a San Dieguito variant. This deposit contained several fragmentary points, crescents, faunal remains, and large features consisting of processed freshwater bivalves. Since the 1960s, the Buena Vista Lake site was the sole wel…
Reassessing the Paleoindian Witt Archaeological Locality, Tulare Lake, San Joaquin Valley, California
In the late 1960s, a portion of a private artifact collection obtained from the “Witt site,” located along the southwestern shoreline of Tulare Lake in California, was described. Included were fluted “Clovis-like” points, stemmed points, and crescents believed to reflect Paleoindian occupation(s). Subsequently, the Witt site has been seen as being one of three “major Clovis localities” known in California. Since the late 1980s, other private coll…
Observations Regarding the Cerutti Mastodon
It has been argued that the Cerutti Mastodon site in southern California contains evidence of human activity 130,000 years ago. A brief examination of the materials did not support the claim of cultural artifacts or of bone processed by hominins. The assemblage from the site can be much better explained as a natural deposit, likely disturbed by other mastodons soon after the death of their comrade. Given the brevity of our study, it is important …
Geography (29 works) · Archaeology (24 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (18 works) · History (17 works) · Geology (12 works) · Archaeology and Natural History (11 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (10 works) · Biology (8 works) · History (8 works) · Prehistory (8 works)