A groundstone tool with abraded/ground edge, typically used for scraping, such as to process agave leaves into fibers that can be used to make twine.

Acorns are the fruit of the oak tree. Many Native Americans used “Acorns” for food. Acorns have to be ground into meal and then leached by running water through the meal to remove poisonous tannic acids prior to consumption.

A Spanish term meaning “mud brick or block.” It is a sun-dried, unfired brick or building block made from a mixture of clay, straw, and water. The term can also refer to the clay or soil from which the brick is made, or a structure built with this type of brick.

This plant has fleshy, toothed leaves and was harvested for both food and fiber. The fibers were twisted into twine or cords that were used as string or rope or woven into nets (see Carrying Net below). The entire plant was dug up and roasted in an earthen oven and eaten much like a giant artichoke.

This term is used to refer to things recovered or recorded through the process of doing archaeology (see below).

one who studies archaeology (see above). Most professional archaeologists have a college degree in the field of archaeology and work for either a CRM firm (see below), a public agency (city, county, state or federal agencies such as parks, highway departments, forestry and fire departments, military bases, etc.), a college/university, or a museum. [..]

When most people hear the term “Arrowheads” they think of small triangular points made out of stone. Archaeologists call them “projectile points” (see below).

An artifact is an item made or used by humans in the past. In California, archaeological artifacts include both historic and Native American items that are more than 50 years old.