San Luis Obispo County CA Archives Photo Place.....Chumassh Indian Dwelling 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 23, 2006, 11:03 pm

Source:             Discovering San Luis Obispo County
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/sanluisobispo/photos/chumassh56gph.jpg
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CHUMASH INDIAN DWELLING

History and Culture:
Opinion has been widely held that the California Indians were of a very low
type, but the more research taking place in the last few years, the more evident
it becomes that such a following is in error, because many of the Indian
accomplishments were of a high order and outstanding.  The Chumash had great
technological specialization in fishing.  The most prominent feature was the
plank canoe, tomal, which played a significant role in expanding the range of
their fisheries and in stimulating population growth.

Chumash villages were similar in plan but varied greatly in size.  Some coastal
villages of the Santa Barbara Channel reached population of 1000 or more. A
typical village consisted of several well built dome shaped houses of pole
framing and grass thatch, one or more sweat houses or "temescal," a ceremonial
enclosure, a gaming area and a cemetery.  Most often the dwellings were built to
house extended families. These houses housed approximately 70 people.  They had
two doors, one on the east and one on the west, there was also a smoke hole at
the top and two or three openings on the sides for windows.  The ceremonial
enclosure was a simply built circular structure of tule mats. Gaming areas were
very smooth and flat lands.  The cemetery stood apart from the rest of the
village, enclosed by a stockade.  The grave was designated by a tall pole
painted different colors.  Baskets were placed by women's graves and deer
antlers, bows and arrows were placed by the men's graves.  The sweat houses were
used for cleaning and bathing.  They would heat rocks until they were hot and by
sweating would rid themselves of dirt and then they would plunge into cold
water-either a stream or the ocean.  The houses were arranged in rows with a
lane between rows.  Domestic furniture consisted of baskets, bowls, and whale
vertebra for a seat.  Unique among the Chumash was their sleeping platforms. 
These platforms were elevated above the ground and arranged in tiers. A reed mat
served as a mattress and four other mats hung as screens that made each bed into
a private sleeping compartment.

Sources:
Louisiana Dart, Curator, San Luis Obispo County Historical Museum
Handbook of the Indians of California. A. L. Kroeber
Southwest Museum Papers. L. C. W. Landberg
The Story of San Luis Obispo County. W. W. Robinson


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Discovering San Luis Obispo County
by
Carleton M. Winslow

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sanluisobispo/photos/chumassh56gph.txt

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