Distinguished Professor Diane Gifford-Gonzalez co-authored four chapters in The Study of Indigenous Landscape and Seascape Stewardship on the Central California Coast: The Findings of a Collaborative Eco-Archaeological Investigation, edited by Kent G. Lightfoot, Michael A. Grone, and Gabriel M. Sánchez. This summarizes nearly 20 years’ collaborative investigations into Native land management in pre-colonial times. Chapters by Amah Mutsun Tribal Band members and non-Native archaeologists, geneticists, and other scientists reflect the closely collaborative nature of the research.
She also single-authored one chapter, “Archaeofaunal Evidence for Landscape Management in Cotoni-Quiroste: Assessing Rodent Species Abundance as a Proxy,” which is a systematic evaluation of whether rodent bones from Monterey Bay archaeological sites can help document Native land management. It synthesizes rodent ecology, species’ present-day responses to low-level and intense fires, and traces of exposure to fire on rodent bones from seven regional sites to evaluate whether rodent remains can indicate Native land management with fire.