“The rediscovery of the journals of Stephen Bowers is one if great importance to Chumash studies. The site maps drawn by Bowers preserve a priceless record of structural features of Chumash settlements that are no longer visible today. His colorful prose and imagination shed light on the attitudes and experiences of early archaeological adventures in south central California.” —John R. Johnson, Curator of Anthropology, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History “Scholars who have waited over 100 years for Stephen Bower’s archeological investigations to surface will welcome Arlene Benson’s thorough presentation. Her careful editing and perceptive annotations provide all those interested in southern California Indians and archaeology a special insight into the past that has been unavailable until now.” —Lynn Gamble, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, San Diego State University “Arlene Benson’s The Noontide Sun represents a major contribution to Chumash and Californianist studies. These journals contain extremely valuable information about the layout and other aspects of Chumash sites at a time when natural and human processes had not yet heavily blurred the physical imprint of Chumash settlement. Not only students of Chumash culture and California archaeologists, but also those interested in California history as well will find this book invaluable.” —David Earle, staff anthropologist, Lancaster Museum.