Contents 
INTRODUCTION 
Some Assumptions and Hypotheses to be Tested, 6 Methodology, 8 
Procedure, 10 Why the Cahuilla Have Been Selected as a Test Case, 11 
Viewing Culture at a Distance, 14 Data Collection, 19 Acknowledg: 
ments, 20 Style, 21 
? 
THE CAHUILLA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 
Introduction, 23 Topography, 23 Life Zones and Associations, 25: 
LOWER SONORAN, 25 UPPER SONORAN, 27 TRANSITION ZONE, 28 CANA- 
DIAN-HUDSONIAN ZONE, 28 
Seasons, 29 Water Resources and Problems, 29 
SURFACE WATER, $1 
Earthquakes, 32 Fires, 4 Summary, 35; 
3 
PLANT ENVIRONMENT 
[ntroduction, g6 Plant Staples, $6: 
ACORNS, $6 MESQUITE AND SCREWBEAN, 38 PINYON, 89 CACTI, 40 
AGAVE OR MESCAL, 41 YUCCA AND NOLINA, 42 SEED PODS, 43 PRUNUS 
SPECIES, 43 OTHER FRUITS AND BERRIES, 44 FAN PALM, 44 TUBERS 
AND ROOTS, 45 GREENS AND SUCCULENTS, 45 OTHER SEEDS, 46 PLANT 
BEVERAGES, 47 MUSHROOMS, 48 
Agriculture, 48 Other Plant Uses, 48 Nutrition and Plants, 49 Ecolog- 
ical Factors, 50 The Technology of Plant Food Processing: A Summary, 
52 Food Storage and Caching: A Summary, 53 
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