It is important to identify that the natives of this period became the Chumash as they settled into this land.  Native American paths can be traced 1000's of years (35,000 to 40,000 years ago) before this pushing down into South America, then returning up the coast as the ice age receded.  Additionally, others can be traced coming over the Artic and into the America's.   Water levels rose.  Temperatures increased.  Vegetation grew.  These natives lived among prehistoric life like Mammoths, Dire Wolf, Teratornis, relatives to Megatheriums, and American Lions!

  They lived in small groups and even as they became the Chumash people, the groups developed different skills at different times.

   The early people in this California area did travel by boats.  Most boats were carved from solid pieces or perhaps strapped together rafts.  They settled on Santarosae Island and settled on the coast of California.  They traveled back and forth to the islands.  The use of planks, tarred and strapped together to build boats was unheard of and came later in the Chumash History.  The Chumash  plank canoes would be called Tomol.

  The ice age was still receding and ocean levels were 150 feet lower than today.  The ocean distance traveled was much shorter between the islands and the coast.  And, many of their original settlements were 150 feet lower, located at the sea level of that time.  And, when the sea level rose, these settlements' artifacts were swallowed by the sea.

Fortunately, there are settlements known today.  Arlington Springs on Santa Rosa Island is dated at 13,000 years ago.  Daisy Cave on San Miguel Island is dated at 11,000 years ago.  Nipomo is dated at 10,000 years ago. And Vandenberg Air Force Base has sites dated 9,000 years ago.  These sites contained pine forests and basketry, cords, milling stones, beads, chert tools, and fish-like effigy evidence.

The Arlington Springs settlement was a specifically important find.  The scientist, Phil C. Orr, who discovered the site, found 3 bones in 1959. He dated these bones over 10,000 years old, based on charcoal remains and the layers of soil.  He named them Arlington Springs Man.  Most other scientist contradicted this and the scientist packed away his discovery in plaster.  3 decades or so later, carbon dating came into use, so other scientists, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Morris, unpacked the old find and had it tested.  Funny enough, the bone was female but was dated over 13,000 years old!!