Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

Multiple investigations on the Santa Clara University campus have revealed important archaeological finds dating from the Spanish and Mexican colonial periods. From early May 2012 through August 2015, the Universityís Cultural Resources Management program and Albion Environmental, Inc. investigated the site of the Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building and Parking Structure. Through this mitigation process, archaeologists stratigraphically excavated 61 significant features associated with the Indian rancherÌa (CA-SCL-30/H), occupied between 1781 and 1840. The archaeological record confirms that members of the diverse indigenous population continued to incorporate traditional forms of material culture into their daily practices. However, differences exist in the ways in which these objects were made, traded, and used during colonial times. These changes enhance our understanding of how a diverse group of indigenous peoples living within the mission negotiated not only cultural or ethnic identity, but also other aspects of their social identity, aspects tied to status and gender.