The Shellmound people who lived on the shores of San Francisco Bay for
perhaps three or four thousand years, down to early historic times,
are regarded as having belonged towards the end to the Costanoan
linguistic family. These Costanoans inhabited the portion of California
extending from the Golden Gate south to Soledad, and from the Pacific
Ocean east to the San Joaquin River. Although totalling more than
7000 square miles in extent, this territory was nevertheless largely
occupied by mountains and marshes unsuitable for permanent habitation.
The principle settlements were in consequence confined to the ocean
shore, the bay shore, and the portion of the San Joaquin valley lying
between the marsh and the Coast Range foothills. Seven Spanish missions
were established in the territory during the latter part of the 18th
century, and from the old records of these institutions Bancroft has
extracted the names of some two hundred villages, several of which,
however, were outside the Costanoan territorial limits. The estimated
population may be placed conservatively at about 10,000.
One of the principal dialectic divisions of the Costanoan stock was
known as the Mutsuns or Mutsunes; and for purposes of the story the
Ahwashtee tribe, to which Wixi and his villagers of Akalan belonged,
has been connected with this group. As a matter of fact, the Ahwashtees
are definitely reported to have lived on the bay shore, though probably
the Mutsunes did not.
There is next to no available historical data about the Shellmound
people, as such, and very little archæological evidence in the
shellmounds themselves that the Indians continued to inhabit them after
the arrival of the white man. The principal references are:
BANCROFT, H. H. Native Races of the Pacific States of North America,
vol. I, 1874.
MASON, J. A. The Mutsun Dialect of Costanoan. (University of
California Publications in American Archaeology and
Ethnology, vol. XI, No. 7. 1916.)
NELSON, N. C. Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region. (University
of California Publications in American Archaeology and
Ethnology, vol. VII, No. 4. 1909.)
POWERS, STEPHEN. Tribes of California. (Contributions to North
American Ethnology, vol. III. 1877.)
UHLE, MAX. The Emeryville Shellmound. (University of California
Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol.
VIII, No. 1. 1907.)