Hospital Rock
Many Native American impacts on the landscape were localized. Hale Tharp, apparently the first white man to visit the Monache village at Hospital Rock, reported in 1858 that he found several hundred Indians living at the site, that the camp was occupied all year, and that the campfires were never allowed to go out. Perhaps not all the people Tharp met that day actually lived at Hospital Rock, but nonetheless even a well-run collection of camps with this many people would have had significant local impacts. To support several hundred people through hunting and gathering involves a great deal of resource manipulation, and keeping camp fires burning 365 days a year would definitely affect local vegetation. Without doubt, a camp like Hospital Rock, which according to the archaeologists had been occupied for at least 500 years prior to Tharp's arrival, had changed the appearance and biology of considerable surrounding acreage. Quantifying this change, unfortunately, is as yet impossible. We simply don't known enough about what the Indians were taking from the environment, how they were taking it, or even exactly what the environment was at the time. Native American impacts were not always local, however, for at least one of their cultural habits affected the entire landscape. Throughout North America, anthropological research makes it clear that Native Americans used a great deal of fire to modify the landscape. Fires were kindled for various reasons, including improvement of forage for game animals, encouragement of valuable plants, game herding, and visibility improvement. From all we can tell, the Western Mono, the Yokuts, the Tubatulabal, and the Eastern Mono all set fires at various times for various purposes, and likely a substantial number of fires. Understanding the impacts of these fires is difficult. Fires change both the density and composition of vegetation.
Anthropological research makes it clear that Native Americans used a great deal of fire to modify the landscape. Fires were kindled for various reasons, including improvement of forage for game animals, encouragement of valuable plants, game herding, and visibility improvement. From all we can tell, the Western Mono, the Yokuts, the Tubatulabal, and the Eastern Mono all set fires at various times for various purposes, and likely a substantial number of fires. Understanding the impacts of these fires is difficult. Fires change both the density and composition of vegetation.
