The Midriff Islands are located in the Gulf of California. They are hot, dry, and currently uninhabited. But for thousands of years they were home to Native Americans—the Seri people of Sonora and the Cochimis of Baja California. Spanish explorers first reached the islands in 1539, followed by Jesuit missionaries, pearl fishers, egg collectors, guano miners, Mexican fishermen, shipwreck victims, and scientists.
The first half of this study deals with the first and only archaeological excavations on the islands conducted by the author, an emeritus professor at the California State University at Fresno. A survey of the islands found more than 300 habitation sites ranging from villages with numerous structures to isolated camp sites. The most numerous type of structure on the islands are rock cairns, which number in the thousands and are of an unknown function. Stone circles are also common. The second half of the book deals with the historic visitors to the islands. The author uses the tools of a historian —documents and historical accounts—to flesh out their story. The final chapter deals with the environmental condition of the islands.
This is a richly illustrated, fascinating, and important study of a remote group of islands that, despite its harsh and unforgiving nature, has been home to successive waves of colonizers for thousands of years.
