RETURN TO LITTLE-HARBOR, SANTA-CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA - A CRITIQUE OF THE MARINE PALEOTEMPERATURE MODEL

Marine paleotemperature is a significant factor in the subsistence pro ductivity of many coastal regions and may be an important factor in th e evolution of maritime societies. A California paleotemperature model , spanning 8,000 calendar years, correlates periods of high sea surfac e temperatures with decreased marine subsistence productivity. A recen t case study involving this model identified warming conditions betwee n A.D. 1150 to 1300 as a major cause of subsistence distress for dwell ers of the northern Channel Islands. These results are questionable, b ased on a comparison with data from other sites and periods of high se a temperature. Research at the Little Harbor site, one of the most ext ensively researched in the Channel Islands, shows that high sea temper ature about 5,200 calendar years ago may have introduced warm-water fa unas but not starvation conditions. Evidence from other sites occupied during subsequent warming cycles, including the event between A.D. 11 50 to 1300, points to similar conclusions. Understanding the effects o f long- and short-term ocean temperature cycles, a focus on only a sma ll segment of the Holocene paleotemperature curve, and weak evidence t hat food abundance was affected by sea temperature are problems that m ust be overcome before the validity of the paleotemperature model can be accepted.