Events

Celebrate the creativity, craftsmanship, and living traditions of Indigenous artists at the Indigenous Artisan Market, a free community event hosted by the San Diego Archaeological Center. Browse a diverse selection of handmade artwork, jewelry, textiles, pottery, carvings, cultural crafts, and other unique creations offered directly by Indigenous artisans from across the region. This family-friendly event provides an opportunity to meet talented makers, learn about the stories and traditions behind their work, and support Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs. Whether you're searching for authentic one-of-a-kind gifts or simply looking to enjoy a day of culture and community, the Indigenous Artisan Market offers something for everyone. Visitors are also encouraged to explore the museum while enjoying a vibrant marketplace dedicated to honoring Indigenous heritage, creativity, and cultural expression. Participating artisits include Dream Indigenous (San Pasqual), Tipai Joa Native Warriors, Iipai Threadz (San Pasqual), Eva Salazar (Kumeyaay), Ma Eugenia Meza Vaquero (La Heurta), Aurelia Ojeda Melendrez (San José de la Zorra), Daria Mariscal Aguiar (Paipai), Of Many, Kimimilas Beadwork, and Angel Sapawechia (Pascua Yaqui). Thank you to our refreshments sponsor:

The North County Archery Club has become a favorite gathering for many of our members and the local community. To help ensure the long-term success of our open range events, we are pausing upcoming sessions while we complete several behind-the-scenes updates. Thank you for your understanding and continued enthusiasm. We hope to see you at our other upcoming events in the meantime.

Get creative this October! Join us for a family-friendly pottery workshop where you can create your own piece of pottery to take home with you. Then journey through the museum on a family-friendly Archaeology Quest. Museum admission and pottery workshop are free for kids 12 and under. Adult museum admission: Pay what you wish (suggested $10/person). No registration required - drop in any time between 10 am and 2 pm. Not able to attend our workshop? Pick up a pottery kit (free with Kids Free San Diego coupon) and make your own at home.

Do you like animals? Are you curious about archaeology? This Halloween, explore where these interests meet in a delightfully macabre fashion at our Zooarchaeology Owl Pellet Dissection Workshop. Discover the ecology of local owls and learn how archaeologists use animal remains to better understand human lifeways. Special guest Susan Arter, co-director of the San Diego Zooarchaeology Lab at the San Diego Natural History Museum, will be on hand to help identify faunal material in the pellets and answer questions about the field of zooarchaeology. This event is ages 21+. Your ticket will include two owl pellets and two drinks per person.  Cost: $40; SDAC Members $30

From 2023 to 2025, the Palomar College archaeology excavation class uncovered a long-forgotten nineteenth-century adobe in San Diego County’s Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove area. These excavations provide the first comprehensive archaeological documentation of this historic adobe, revealing new insights into its residence, the community, and its place in the region’s past. Conducted in cooperation with property owner Greg White and regional historian Alexa Clausen, the project investigated the adobe’s architecture, history, and changing use. Across four field seasons and 47 excavation units, students and researchers documented distinctive stone foundations, interior walls, a collapsed brick chimney, and other architectural features that offer new insights into historic building practices and domestic life. Drawing on archaeological evidence, archival research, and comparisons with the nearby Robert Israel Adobe, this presentation explores the intertwined Californio and Anglo-American histories of the Aliso District. Despite extensive disturbance from erosion, salvage, recreational use, and other post-abandonment processes, the excavations revealed important details about the adobe’s construction and history, contributing to a deeper understanding of San Diego County’s historic adobe architecture and regional past. Cost: $15; SDAC Members $5 About the Presenter Betsy Pain is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Palomar College, where she serves as the Archaeology Program Coordinator. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology from UCLA and her M.A. in Anthropology from California State University, Northridge. Her specialty is historical archaeology, with a focus on bringing to light the stories of underrepresented communities through archaeological research. Above all, Betsy is passionate about working with students, sharing her love of archaeology, and providing hands-on learning experiences in both the field and the laboratory.