Acorns were a staple of native diet in much of California as early as 3,500 years ago. At Spanish contact, 300,000 native Californians were harvesting more than 60,000 tons of acorns a year—more than today’s sweet corn harvest.
Brian Fagan
About Brian Fagan
Brian Fagan is emeritus professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Brian is an internationally known writer as well as an expert cruising sailor. His many books include The Little Ice Age; Floods, Famines, and Emperors; and The Long Summer, also Elixir: A History of Humans and Water. For more information visit BrianFagan.com.