A Possible Sweat Lodge at the Island Chumash Village of Nimatlala on Limuw, Santa Cruz Island, Alta California. (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sutton, Elizabeth A.
• Is Part Of: California archaeology. Volume 7:Number 2(2015)
• Page Start: 295
• Page End: 315
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Archaeology -- California -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1080/1947461X.2015.1108564
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1947-461X

Abstract

Abstract : The Chumash of the Santa Barbara Channel region built two types of semisubterranean structures used as sweat lodges: a small, semicircular ' uqstilulu and a large, circular ' apayik that could shelter a greater number of people and may have served as a location for conducting ceremonies. Ethnographic accounts indicate ' uqstilulu were more common, but only one such structure has ever been documented archaeologically. Recent investigations at Nimatlala, a small contact and early historic Chumash community in the central valley of Santa Cruz Island, led to the discovery of a semicircular, semisubterranean structure. This structure is interpreted as an ' uqstilulu, and may be the first sweat lodge to have been excavated on the Northern Channel Islands. Analysis indicates that the structure was occupied during the Late (cal A.D. 1150–1782) and Early Historic (A.D. 1782–1834) periods, but likely fell into disuse prior to site abandonment.