Event Articles

Dig These Reads: The Coastal Highway Route Model (13,000 ya)

Dig These Reads is a blog about archaeological theories, concepts, and techniques featured in our upcoming events. To correspond with our 2nd Sat: By Land and Sea Exhibit Opening, read about one of the different theories on the peopling of the Americas.

For decades, archaeologists thought that the Americas were populated by land, crossing over the Beringia Land Bridge. However, a discovery in 2004 gives weight to the theory that people also reached the Americas by sea, the Coastal Route Model. Archaeologist Matthew Des Lauriers noticed large shell middens on Cedros Island in Mexico and stone tools unlike others found on the island. Excavations revealed shell dating back to nearly 13,000 years ago. Since this is before the Beringia Land Bridge was passable, these people  probably reached the island by sea.

 

 

 

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Collections Research

With the assistance of Center staff, the intern will identify, design, and conduct an original research project that uses the Center’s archaeological collections. The intern will formulate a plan for public dissemination of the project results as a journal publication, a museum exhibit, or a public class or lecture. During the course of the research and dissemination planning, the intern will receive training in research design, collections management, artifact analysis, and exhibit design and production as appropriate to the selected project.

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Collections Management

With the assistance of Center staff, the intern will prepare one or more archaeological collections for curation. During the course of the internship, the intern will learn to identify artifacts and ecofacts common to the San Diego region, including lithics, ceramics, historical objects, and faunal, botanical, and mineral specimens. Center staff will instruct the intern on archaeological laboratory procedures such as basic artifact analysis, manual and computer cataloguing, storage requirements, and preventative conservation. In addition, the intern will become familiar with historical trends in archaeological practice in the San Diego area and will be introduced to current legal and ethical issues in archaeological curation as well as the concerns and rights of culturally affiliated groups with regard to archaeological materials.

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Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology

Prospective Interns must have completed three courses: Introduction to GIS, GIS Database Management, and Intermediate/Advanced Methods in GIS. The intern will be assigned a project where they will create shapefiles and maps for curated archaeological collections, museum exhibits, and/or public outreach using ArcGIS 10.6. Center staff will instruct the intern on archaeological GIS laboratory procedures such as computer cataloguing, storage requirements, and database management.

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