Archaeological and linguistic evidence indicates that the original people's territory once extended much farther … See more

The name Esselen is uncertain. One theory is that it refers to the name of a major native village, possibly Exse'ein, or the place called Eslenes (said to be near the current site of the Mission San Carlos). The village nam… See more

The Esselen language is a language isolate. It is hypothetically part of the Hokan family. The language was spoken in the northern Santa Lucia Range. Prior to contact with European culture, there were between 500 and 1000 s… See more

The Central California coast in this region is marked by high, steep cliffs and rocky shores, interrupted by small coastal creeks with occasional, small beaches. The mountains are very rugged with narrow canyons. T… See more

Archeological evidence of settlements has been found throughout Esselen territory. Artifacts found at a site in the Tassajara area (archaeological site CA-MNT-44) included bone awls, antler flakers, projectile points inclu… See more

Viscaino, likely the first European to land on the Central Coast of California, wrote about his visit to Monterey Bay from December 16, 1602, to January 3, 1603.
The Indians are of good stature and fair complexio… See more

The Esselen were and are one of the least numerous indigenous people in California. The Spanish mission system led to severe decimation of the initially small Esselen population. Estimates for the pre-contact population… See more