undergone considerable patination so that they are now quite yellowed even on their flaked surfaces. In general appearance and degree of patination the artifacts from this site show marked resemblance to those from San Fernando, LAn-6, just over the divide.

Four-tenths of a mile to the south, .2 of a mile southwest of the home of M. Biencourt, an isolated chopper was picked from the surface of a spur ridge leading to Garrapata Creek. It is a large bifacial tool, battered on the slightly fashioned working edge, of basalt and patinated. No further indication of aboriginal habitation could be discovered in the near vicinity. Lithic tools and rejects, however, were found on the slope just southeast of the Biencourt residence, apparently weathering from a higher source. Investigation at the time was not feasible, however, and further investigation has not as yet been possible.

LAn-16.—Now almost completely destroyed or disturbed by bulldozing and animals, this site is centered in the chicken run of the W. R. Hamilton Ranch, some 3 miles up the Fernwood-Pacific Road, 1.7 air miles southwest of Topanga Post Office. It sits on a somewhat more level shelf of an otherwise steep slope, the east bank of a ravine from which a permanent spring emanates 12 miles from the site. Over an area 60 feet in diameter, dark friable mound soil is still in evidence, though artifacts are now scarce. Three deep bedrock mortars, and some seven smaller, have been worn into a sandstone outcrop toward the upper end of the site, and a single pestle, and scraper plane of quartzite, came from the surface.

LAn-17.—LAn-17 surrounds the spring on the Barton School property to an indeterminable extent. Recent building and cultivation have obliterated or disturbed considerable portions of the old habitation site; however, from what remains, it appears very similar to LAn-8, .3 of a mile southeast. Artifacts lie on the surface of the dark, friable midden deposit, which contrasts with the surrounding light clayey soil, though the discoloration may have been intensified to some extent by seepage and decay of organic matter derived from the heavy oak grove. The artifacts noted consist of a shallow basin metate, manos, only a few general core tools, and a bedrock mortar in a boulder, some 300 feet from the spring.

LA-21 and LAn-21.—Located on a level shelf adjacent to the west bank of Garapata Creek, the site is .72 of a mile east-northeast of Mineral Springs. The upper half is separated from the lower by a 4-foot sandstone face that divides the site midway between the bank and its upper extremity. In all, an area of 50 feet by 75 feet is covered with dark, friable, sandy midden deposit to an undetermined depth, which contrasts with the surrounding light, brown-colored sand. Surface finds included only some scrapers, and a quartz core hammerstone, along with a few cores and more concentrated chert flakes; by far in the majority were head-fractured, carbonized rock fragments. A shallow 10-foot test trench again yielded only fired, fractured rock.

A number of springs are located in this vicinity, all, at present, permanent and potable. Two are within a quarter of a mile, one upstream and one downstream. Two others are within a three-quarter mile radius, one upstream on the old Santa Maria Ranch, and the other at Mineral Springs, to the west across a low range.

LAn-23.—This site is on the east side of Garrapata Creek located in a small cave near the top of a large sandstone outcrop. The habitation deposit consists of loose, ashy dark soil charged with clam and abalone shells, and mammal and bird bones. Artifacts recovered were typical of the late protohistoric period. This site was partly examined by R. F. Heizer in 1946 and called by him “Cave 1” (Heizer and Lemert, 1947, p. 238).

LAn-24.—This site is in the open adjacent to LAn-23. It consists of a refuse deposit some 75 square yards in area. Surface and subsurface artifacts resemble those of Topanga Phase II. This was Heizer’s “Upper Site” (Heizer and Lemert, 1947, p. 238).

LAn-25.—A cave site, LAn-25 is .4 of a mile east of LAn-23 in the same sandstone ridge. It has a northwest exposure and is very near the top of the outcrop. A small opening leads into a circular room 15 feet in diameter; the walls and ceiling are somewhat smoke-blackened. However, the cave probably bore little habitation, for the floor deposit is hardly discolored and includes very little charcoal, only two flakes and no artifacts. Water is available at the Santa Maria spring a half a mile north, but the ascent to the cave is difficult because of the thick brush and sheer rock faces.

LAn-27.—This is one of a series of caves reported by W. King and D. Lathrop. They stretch along the north bank of Garrapata Creek for .25 of a mile on the property of M. Biencourt, just south of the owner’s house, all with a more or less southerly exposure. Water is available from the spring in the creek bed a few hundred feet upstream and from Mineral Springs, less than a half a mile to the west. As none contain deposit of any depth, and the majority are relatively low overhangs, these caves probably served only as temporary shelters.

LAn-27.—This is a high-roofed cave, 25 feet wide and 12 feet deep, with a maximum floor deposit of 12 inches. The slope in the front of the cave also bears dark, loose deposit, which appears to have a greater depth than that in the cave itself. Surface finds include a few scrapers, as well as some flakes and marine shell fragments.

LAn-28.—100 feet west of LAn-27, and slightly higher, is another cave, only 8 by 5 feet. The rock floor bears no artifacts, the only evidence of possible habitation being the intensely fire-blackened roof. As extensive brush fires are not uncommon in this region the blackening may well be the result of unintentional firing.

LAn-29.—This is the largest of the caves, 60 by 16 feet, and is 400 feet southwest of LAn-27 and somewhat lower. A thin erosional or aelian layer covers the surface of the deposit, which bears scrapers, marine shell fragments, and burnt bone; the interior of the cave is completely carbonized.

LAn-30.—Only 30 feet southwest of LAn-29 is another small cave, 20 by 10 feet, with fire-blackened walls and shallow deposit containing scrapers, marine shell, and flakes.

LAn-31.—This is a low circular cave with two entrances, some 80 feet southwest of LAn-30. The dark ashy deposit covers a floor 10 by 15 feet where pockets attain a maximum depth of 24 inches, and extends some 20 feet beyond the cave mouth. Aside from marine shell and flakes, it contained a few cores and scrapers.

LAn-32.—The last of the caves is 200 feet west of LAn-31 and slightly lower. Here a long shallow overhang leads to a dry circular room with blackened walls. The deposit covers an area 15 feet in diameter, is dark, ashy, and dry, and yielded a few scrapers, some cores, and a quantity of marine shell fragments.

LAn-33.—In a sandstone cliff overlooking the valley, 3 potholes have been used as bedrock mortars. They are .25 of a mile west-southwest of the spring on the Barton School property, and the same distance west-northwest of the spring on the Kiewit Ranch, surrounded on the west by oaks. Again, neither surface artifacts nor other habitation deposits are evident in the immediate vicinity.

SUMMARY OF SITES

On the basis of physiographic location, nature of deposit, artifact types, and the degree of implement patination, sites LAn-2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 24 resemble the Tank Site and, therefore, could probably be classed as representative of one of the phase developments of the Topanga Culture. Sites LAn-8, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32, because of the friable, dark soil, presence of steatite, quantities of mammal bone and mollusk shell, or associated bedrock mortars, have