Human adaptation to the periodic infilling of Lake Cahuilla has been an important topic of discussion among researchers concerned with the archaeology of southern California's Salton Basin. In this dissertation, data from mortuary remains and associated habitation sites were used to investigate questions concerning hunter-gatherer adaptations to cyclical changes in ecological conditions in the basin. More specifically, this research explores the relationship between funerary practices and three broader issues: mobility, resource competition and social differentiation.

Mortuary and settlement data contained in technical reports were compiled from 47 sites situated in the vicinity of Lake Cahuilla's ancient shoreline. The majority of the sites were located at the north end of the lake. For the settlement data, information was obtained on site structure, food remains, and types of artifacts present in middens. These data were then used to identify the type of settlement that may have been represented by cultural deposits. In terms of the mortuary data, nearly all of the mortuary features identified in the basin consisted of cremation remains. Data collected about these features included information on spatial location, physical structure of cremation facilities, and grave good associations. Skeletal data included age and sex of the deceased, total cremated bone weight, pattern of burning on bones, and bone pathologies. This information was used to define the distribution and organization of mortuary sites vis-a-vis settlement types.

The results of this dissertation show that populations in the northern Salton Basin practiced both logistical and residential mobility throughout the period studied, regardless of whether a lake stand was present. Furthermore, the number of mortuary features occurring at a site was not a function of settlement type but rather of length and/or recurrence of use of a location. Examination of two formal cremation grounds demonstrated that these were established and maintained by corporate groups as a means of legitimizing use-rights of critical resources. The uniformity in burial treatment and the paucity of prestige goods accompanying the dead further indicated that these groups maintained an ethos of egalitarianism.