Chester King Research Files on Burro Flats, 1982-2000

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Summary

Creators:
King, Chester
Abstract:
Chester King (1942-) is an archaeologist and ethnohistorian who specializes in Southern California. He has previously served as the Malibu City Archaeologist and as President and Vice-President of the Society of California Archaeology. The Chester King Research Files on Burro Flats contain daily field reports, excavation notes, inventories, site maps, correspondence, sketches, and reports that Chester King compiled while conducting research on the Burro Flats Archaeological site at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in Ventura County, California. Most items in the collection are photocopies of materials from the 1950s-1960s that were likely copied between 1980-2000.
Extent:
1.6 Linear Feet
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Chester King Research Files on Burro Flats, 1982-2000, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MSA.63; [folder number] [folder title][date].

Background

Scope and content:

The Chester King Research Files on Burro Flats contain photocopies of daily field reports, excavation notes, inventories, site maps, correspondence, sketches, and reports that Chester King compiled while conducting research on the Burro Flats Archaeological site at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in Ventura County, California. Most of the materials such as reports, inventories, and excavation communications were originally created between 1955-1967, while the copies of these materials were likely made between 1980-2000.

Biographical / historical:

Chester D. King (1942-) is an archaeologist and ethnohistorian who specializes in the archaeology of Southern California. He was the sole proprietor of Topanga Anthropological Consultants and has previously served as the Malibu City Archaeologist and as the President and Vice-president of the Society of California Archaeology. King received his PhD in Anthropology from UC Davis in 1981. He has published several works about Southern California archaeological sites and Chumash ethnohistory and archaeology. Chester King assisted several Southwest Museum curators, such as George Kritzman, with research on archaeological sites that are part of the Southwest Museum collections.

References

"Dr. Chester King." Ventura County Archaeological Society. https://www.venturacountyarchaeologicalsociety.com/. Accessed 30 January, 2025.

"King, Chester." Islapedia. https://www.islapedia.com/index.php?title=KING,_Chester. Accessed 30 January, 2025.

Burro Flats Cultural District is a Traditional Cultural Property located in open, rocky, and hilly terrain above the Simi Valley, in Ventura County, California. The landscape has ridges, canyons, and rock outcrops with natural caves and rock shelters scattered throughout the area. It is estimated that the area was in use from at least 5,000 BCE and several Native American groups such as the Chumash, Fernandeño, Kizh/Gabrieleño, and Tataviam lived in the area. Burro Flats is considered significant for the rock art pictographs, bedrock cupules, mortars, and other artifacts found at the site. It is considered a culturally important location used for celebrating the winter and summer solstices and as a mourning area.

In the 1800s the area was used for ranching and in the 1920s-1940s it was a Hollywood film location. After World War II, the location was developed into a rocket engine test site by the North American Aviation Inc. (later known as Boeing). In 1954, NASA purchased 838 acres of the Burro Flats area that came to be known as the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. In addition to rocket testing, the area has been used by the Department of Energy for nuclear energy and liquid metal research. A partial nuclear meltdown occurred in 1959, and other chemical and radioactive contamination has been documented at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. NASA agreed to decontaminate the site in 2010. In 2016, NASA applied to add the site to the National Register of Historic Places and later proposed listing the site as a designated Native American cultural district. In 2022, the State of California announced a framework to hold Boeing accountable for toxic waste cleanup at its areas of responsibility at the site.

References

"California holds Boeing Accountable for Cleanup at Toxic Santa Susana Field Laboratory: Comprehensive framework sets stage for stringent cleanup of Boeing's areas of responsibility at the site." State of California. 9 May, 2022. https://dtsc.ca.gov/2022/05/09/california-holds-boeing-accountable-for-cleanup-at-toxic-santa-susana-field-laboratory/. Press release.

Harris, Mike. August, 17, 2020. "State nod moves forward proposed Native American sacred site at Santa Susana Field Lab." Ventura County Star. https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/simi-valley/2020/08/17/state-backs-nasa-proposal-santa-susana-field-labratory-cultural-district/5597894002/

"National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Burro Flats Cultural District (Public Version) DRAFT." California Office of Historic Preservation. https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/pages/1067/files/CA_Ventura%20County_Burro%20Flats%20Cultural%20District_REDACTED.pdf Retrieved 31 January, 2025.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Chester King, 2019.
Processing information:

Processing and finding aid completed by Molly Smith, 2025.

Arrangement:

The collection is in original order, organized by topic or material type.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Access to this collection is restricted due to culturally sensitive content. Requests for researcher access to materials identified as culturally sensitive will be restricted until tribal permission has been granted. Please see the Autry's Management of Native Collections policy for further information.

Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit https://theautry.org/research-collections/library-and-archives and fill out the Researcher Application Form.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Library and Archives at the Autry. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

Chester King Research Files on Burro Flats, 1982-2000, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MSA.63; [folder number] [folder title][date].

Location of this collection:
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027, US
Contact:
(747) 201-8448
rroom@theautry.org
Website