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4.Environmental Analysis — greater emphasis on the exploitation of the acorn as a staple. The Berkeley Pattern initially may — represent the spread of proto-Miwok and Costanoans, collectively known as Utians, from their hypothesized lower Sacramento Valley/Delta homeland. The last complex in this sequence is the Augustine Pattern which extended temporally from circa 1,500 BP to European contact. Augustine initially appears to be largely an outgrowth of the Berkeley Pattern but may have become a blend of Berkeley traits with those carried into the state by the migration of Wintuan populations from the north (Moratto, 1984). Many investigations into Central Valley prehistory have been conducted in San Joaquin County. — Indeed, much of the literature has supported the notion that Central Valley peoples maintained large populations along the banks of major waterways, wetlands,and streams. Although many sites are more obtrusive, such as shell mounds, much of the archaeological record for the region has likely been buried beneath the vast alluvial deposits by erosion and depositional processes indicative of the valley,especially over the last 9,000 years. Consequently,archaeological _ materials can be revealed unexpectedly during excavation throughout the Central Valley. Ethnographic Background The project area was aboriginally inhabited by the Northern Valley Yokuts. Because of the early decimation of the aboriginal populations in the San Joaquin Valley,most information regarding — this group is gleaned from accounts of Spanish military men and missionaries that have been translated. A summary of these sources has been compiled by W.J. Wallace(1978), and it is upon this work that this brief ethnographic setting is based. — Northern Valley Yokuts territory is defined roughly by the crest of the Diablo Range on the west, and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada on the east. The southern boundary is located — approximately where the San Joaquin River bends northward, and the northern boundary is roughly half way between the Calaveras and Mokelumne Rivers. The Yokuts may have been fairly recent arrivals in the San Joaquin Valley,perhaps being pushed out of the foothills about — 500 years ago. Population estimates for the Northern Valley Yokuts vary from 11,000 to more than 31,000 — individuals. Populations were concentrated along waterways and on the more hospitable east side of the San Joaquin River. Villages, or clusters of villages, made up"miniature tribes"(tribelets) lead by headmen. The number of tribelets is estimated at 30 to 40;each tribe spoke their own dialect of the Yokuts language. Combined with the Southern Valley Yokuts and the Foothill Yokuts dialects, these tongues formed the Yokutsan linguistic family of the Penutian Stock (Shipley, 1978). — Principal settlements were located on the tops of low mounds,on or near the banks of the larger watercourses. Settlements were composed of single family dwellings, sweathouses, and ceremonial assembly chambers. Dwellings were small and lightly constructed, semi-subterranean and oval. The public structures were large and earth covered. Sedentism was fostered by the _ abundance of riverine resources in the area. RMC Pacific Vernalis Quarry Mining and Reclamation Project 4.10-2 ESA/203015 Draft Environmental Impact Report May 2006