Mark Alan Giambastiani (1966-2020)

Abstract

California and Great Basin archaeology lost one of its best people with the passing of Mark Giambastiani on July 15, 2020 (Figures 1 and 2). Choice of the word “people” is deliberate, for Mark was far more than a researcher or academic; a father, mentor, musician, comedian, colleague, and most of all friend to all those who crossed his path during a much too short life. Known to many as Gumby (Gumboots to his Australian compatriots), his nearly 35-year professional career saw him employed by many of the top cultural resource management (CRM) organizations in the west, including Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Archaeological Research Center (ARC) at CSU Sacramento (CSUS), Albion Environmental, ASM Affiliates, and G2 Archaeology. He was destined to contribute much to each firm during these stops, directing scores of major projects, expanding the reach of their contract potential, and offering critical mentorship to new and existing staff. While perhaps best known as a lithics specialist, Mark in fact advanced scholarship on numerous topics and in many geographic contexts. His many collaborations with Tribal communities were especially noteworthy and deeply rooted. Mark grew up in San Rafael, Marin County, which surely had a strong influence on his life. Surrounded by magnificent landscapes and unlimited cultural opportunities, he quickly formed an attachment to the outdoors and a proclivity for hiking and camping. His family purchased a rustic beach house on Salmon Creek, just north of Bodega Bay, where they spent many weekends during the early years. Mark also developed an early affinity for sports, building lifelong ties to professional teams in the Bay Area and a special interest in playing the then unfashionable game of soccer. Although he rooted for the 49ers and Warriors, it was the Giants that received most of his attention, ever a fan of baseball. As for soccer, Mark carried the passion with him from Marin to Davis and ultimately to his last haunts in Reno, Nevada. He was playing in a recreational league nearly every weekend until the time of his passing. Music also became an essential part of Mark’s life, both listening to the new sounds and becoming involved with making them. He played in several shortlived bands in his high school years, but it was after getting to Davis that he joined the Grundybergs and made a connection that spanned the rest of his life. Playing bass guitar and covering harmony vocals, the band released the record “Outside the Boxcars” in 1990. Perhaps best characterized as folk/ rock, the Grundybergs played a range of venues in Davis, Sacramento, Berkeley, and even Santa Cruz in those initial years. Many of us lucky enough to have