• Exhibits

    Artifact of the Week: Beads and Pendants

    Throughout history, humans have adorned themselves. These beads came from archaeological sites all over San Diego. The shell beads are made of olivella, abalone, clam, scallop, and dentalia. The grooved stone bead is made of steatite. During the Late Prehistoric…

  • Exhibits

    Artifact of the Week: Arrow Points

    Bow and arrow technology were introduced to the region during the Late Holocene. During this period, the people of the Late Prehistoric Tradition hunted small game with the bow and arrow. Almost all archaeological theories about San Diego’s early history…

  • Exhibits

    Artifact of the Week: Shaft Straightener

    The shaft straightener was used to gently bend prepared and heated wooden sticks to create an arrow shaft that would fly true. It is a flattened round stone with a groove pecked in the flat surface. To create that groove,…

  • Exhibits

    Artifact of the Week: Polishing Stones

    Pottery first appears in the archaeological record during the Late Holocene. The people of the Late Prehistoric Tradition made pots to store water, foodstuffs, and personal items. The pottery was created with the coiling technique, and the polishing stones were…