Discoidals
Discoidals are artificially shaped rocks, round in plan view and generally with flat or slightly convex faces. They resemble unusually round, finely shaped manos, but at least some specimens lack the normal patterns of use wear found on manos. Rarely, specimens have been perforated by biconically drilled holes. Various chronological and functional interpretations have been suggested for the artifacts.
As a type, discoidals have been recognized intuitively rather than formally defined. The category seems to grade into that of circular manos, and their classification has probably not been consistent. Reported distributions of discoidals in space and time may have been significantly biased by this factor.
Subtypes of discoidals have been proposed on the basis of various attributes, including (1) the convexity, flatness, concavity, or perforation of their faces; (2) the presence or absence of bevelling on the margins of their faces; (3) the convex or flat profile of their sides; (4) overall size; and (5) the ratio of thickness to diameter (Moriarty and Broms 1971). Interpretable patterning in the occurrence of these attributes has not yet been suggested. Most San Diego County specimens seem to belong to the “common” subtype, with the ratio of thickness to diameter averaging about 1:2 and with perforation being relatively uncommon.
Chronologically, it has been suggested that discoidals pertain at least primarily to the middle Holocene period. D. L. True (1958, 1980) believed that discoidals in the northern interior portion of San Diego County belonged to the Pauma complex rather than the subsequent San Luis Rey complex. James R. Moriarty, III, (1966:22) suggested that discoidals were introduced during the La Jolla II phase (3500 to 2000 B.C.). Moriarty and Robert S. D. Broms (1971) cited seven San Diego County radiocarbon dates as apparently indicating that discoidal use had spanned the period between about 4400 B.C. and A.D. 1600.
Spatially, discoidals have been reported from various parts of the region, although there seems to be a greater proportion of such reports from the northern portion of the county.
The function of discoidals has not been convincingly demonstrated. Their fine finishing has been cited as evidence against any strictly utilitarian function, as has a general absence of obvious use wear, although the recycling of broken specimens for utilitarian purposed has been observed (Moriarty and Broms 1971:26). On the basis of ethnographic evidence from various portions of North America, Moriarty and Broms (1971) argued at length that discoidals were gaming pieces. Alika K. Herring (1968), in a study of an Orange County site, suggested that discoidals might be unfinished cogged stones — artifacts that are similar to discoidals, but with series of deep grooves or indentations parallel to their axes around their perimeters. Cogged stones and discoidals often occur together in Orange County, but cogged stones are much rarer in San Diego County, which seems to rule out the possibility that the local discoidals were cogged stone preforms.
PROSPECTS
Future archaeological research may be able to clarify the functions and chronology of discoidals in the region. Relevant evidence may include the artifacts’ dimensions, their shapes, macroscopic and microscopic evidence of use wear or other post-manufacturing modification, as well as the ecological, chronological, functional, and social contexts in which they are found. Replicative experiments may be able to quantify the costs involved in their production and possible uses to which they may have been put.
| Site | General Location | Period | Rock Type | Diam- eter (cm) |
Thick- ness (cm) |
Perfor- ated? |
References |
| SDI-194 | Rancho Santa Fe | Archaic | — | — | — | — | Warren et al. 1961 |
| SDI-213B | Batiquitos Lagoon | Archaic | volcanic | 12.4 | 3.5 | yes | Crabtree et al. 1963 |
| SDI-262 | Valley Center | Archaic | — | — | — | — | Warren et al. 1961 |
| SDI-262 | Valley Center | Archaic | — | — | — | — | Warren et al. 1961 |
| SDI-267 | Pauma Valley | Archaic | — | — | — | no | True 1958, 1980 |
| SDI-321 | Escondido/ San Marcos |
Archaic | — | — | — | — | Warren et al. 1961 |
| SDI-321 | Escondido/ San Marcos |
Archaic | — | — | — | — | Warren et al. 1961 |
| SDI-505 | Pauma Valley | Archaic | granitic | 11.0 | 3.7 | no | True 1958, 1980 |
| SDI-505 | Pauma Valley | Archaic | — | — | — | yes | True 1980 |
| SDI-525 | La Jolla | Archaic | quartzite | 9.4 | 5.4 | no | Shumway et al. 1961 |
| SDI-525 | La Jolla | Archaic | granitic | 7.4 | 2.3 | no | Shumway et al. 1961 |
| SDI-525 | La Jolla | Archaic | granitic | 8.1 | 4.5 | no | Shumway et al. 1961 |
| SDI-560 | San Marcos | Archaic | — | — | — | — | Warren et al. 1961 |
| SDI-575 | Rancho Bernardo | Archaic | — | — | — | — | Warren et al. 1961 |
| SDI-575 | Rancho Bernardo | Archaic | — | — | — | — | Warren et al. 1961 |
| SDI-603 | Batiquitos Lagoon | Archaic, Late | — | 7.6 | 3.4 | no | Crabtree et al. 1963 |
| SDI-682 | Pala | Late, Archaic | granitic | 8.7 | 4.3 | no | True et al. 1991 |
| SDI-682 | Pala | Late, Archaic | granitic | 9.8 | 4.1 | no | True et al. 1991 |
| SDI-682 | Pala | Late, Archaic | granitic | 10.0 | 5.8 | — | True et al. 1991 |
| SDI-716 | Pala | Archaic | — | — | — | no | True 1980 |
| SDI-719 | Pala | Archaic | — | — | — | yes | True 1980 |
| SDI-747 | Valley Center | Archaic | — | — | — | — | Warren et al. 1961 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 21.3 | 7.0 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | volcanic | 22.0 | 8.0 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 20.2 | 6.5 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 16.0 | 7.2 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 9.8 | 5.5 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 12.8 | 6.5 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 13.5 | 6.0 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 14.0 | 6.0 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 15.5 | 5.5 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | quartzite | 10.3 | 6.2 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 10.8 | 5.5 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 12.5 | 7.0 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-4575 | San Elijo Lagoon | Archaic | granitic | 9.5 | 4.0 | no | Sutton 1978 |
| SDI-12,155 | Bonsall | Archaic, Late | granitic | 9.6 | 4.7 | no | Rosen 1991 |
| SDM-W-1556 | San Marcos | Late, Archaic | granitic | 12.2 | 4.8 | no | O’Neil 1982 |
| Rincon 100 | Pauma Valley | Archaic | volcanic | — | — | yes | True 1980 |
| — | La Jolla | — | — | 12.0 | 7.2 | no | Moriarty and Broms 1971 |
| — | La Jolla | — | — | 12.0 | 6.8 | no | Moriarty and Broms 1971 |
| — | La Jolla | — | — | 12.0 | 6.5 | no | Moriarty and Broms 1971 |
| — | La Jolla | — | — | 9.7 | 5.9 | no | Moriarty and Broms 1971 |
| — | La Jolla | — | — | 8.9 | 5.7 | no | Moriarty and Broms 1971 |
| — | La Jolla | — | — | 6.9 | 2.9 | no | Moriarty and Broms 1971 |
| — | La Jolla | — | — | 6.2 | 2.9 | no | Moriarty and Broms 1971 |