Kirk Creek Campground is an archaeological site dating to the Middle Period[clarification needed] of the Big Sur coast in California.[2] The campground is in Lucia, Monterey County, California, US. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 1974.[3]

Kirk Creek Campground
Kirk Creek Campground off Route 1
Kirk Creek Campground is located in California
Kirk Creek Campground
Kirk Creek Campground
Location in Monterey County
LocationLucia, California
Coordinates35°59′24″N 121°29′44″W / 35.99000°N 121.49556°W / 35.99000; -121.49556
Area1.6 acres (0.65 ha)
Built1926; 98 years ago (1926)
NRHP reference No.74000538[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 31, 1974

History

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Los Padres National Forest, Kirk Creek US Forest Service Campground

In 1974, excavation of 60 cubic yards (46 m3) was done at the Kirk Creek site, CA-MNT-238, with funding provided by the California Division of Highways. Three decades later, an analysis, interpretation, and documentation of the site data was completed. The site stands as the sole intact and well-documented archaeological assemblage from the Middle Period, or Archaic Period, along the Big Sur coast, encompassing evidence of a short-term Early Period hunting camp.[clarification needed][2]

The regional analyses cover chronological data from coastal sites, obsidian hydration, Olivella shell, subsistence patterns, and a Late Period transition to the interior.[clarification needed] Kirk Creek Campground excavations began in 1974 with projectile points, Olivella beads, and bone tools being found at the site.[2][4]

References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c Mikkelsen, Patricia; William Hildebrandt; Deborah Jones; Jeffrey Rosenthal; Robert Gibson (2006). "Excavations at CA-MNT-238, at Kirk Creek on the Big Sur Coast". Proceedings of the Society for California Archaeology. 19: 220–228.
  3. ^ "Olvida Penas". Office of Historic Preservation. December 31, 1974. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. ^ Robert O. Gibson (1974). Archaeological Site 4-Mnt-238, U.S. Forest Service Kirk Creek Campground (National Register Nomination Form). Proceedings of the Society for California Archaeology. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
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