About the Center

Calendar of Events

Become a Member

Curation Crisis

Virtual Museum

Fun for Kids

          Events and Exhibits

  

The Center Museum is open to the public Monday through Friday from
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,

and every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  

Admission to the Museum is free, with a suggested donation of $2 per person and $5 per family .  

 

Calendar of events

December 6, 2008 Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.	The Story of the Ranchería of San Pasqual: From Prehistoric Village to Mexican Pueblo to Forced Eviction The Center welcomes Richard L. Carrico, instructor of American Indian History at San Diego State University as a Visiting Scholar for a Special December Lecture and Booksigning. More Info
December 7, 2008 Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.	Center Open for Battle of San Pasqual Reenactments The San Diego Archaeological Center Museum will be open for the 162nd anniversary of this historic battle. Enjoy the Center's exhibits, research stations, hands-on activities and more. Admission to the Center is a suggested donation of $2 for individuals and $5 for families. More Info
December 13, 2008 Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p. m.	Holiday Workshop Is your family looking for a fun and educational way to spend a few hours on a beautiful December day? Discover the San Diego Archaeological Center’s Culture Classroom as it is transformed into a “Children’s Holiday Workshop”. Young participants ages four and up will learn about the archaeology, history, and natural environment of San Diego with hands-on lessons on pottery, cordage making and Victorian era activities. Combining both imagination and science will engage the youngest person in using critical thinking skills while enjoying a hands-on experience. Each child will have the opportunity to discover a new ability while replicating essential life skills of people in the past. Young artisans will create unique items such as friendship bracelets, clay vases and sculptures, and picture frames. Perfect keepsakes for holiday gifts. Favorite teachers, friends and family will delight in receiving a one of a kind present created by a child’s hand. Center staff and volunteers will be on hand to guide the participants with their projects, while accompanying adults enjoy the Center’s award winning exhibits, research station and hands-on archaeology lessons located in the newly expanded Museum. All visitors to the Center Museum on Saturday, December 13 are invited to enjoy a mug of hot cocoa or cider and cookies provided by Center Board of Trustees. More Info
December 15, 2008 Monday	Project Archaeology Call now to schedule Project Archaeology Programs at the San Diego Archaeological Center. Off-site programs are also available The San Diego Archaeological Center’s Education Department is now scheduling Project Archaeology Programs for Winter 2008. More Info
February 14, 2009 Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p. m.	Health Benefits of Wine and Chocolate Dr. Phil Goscienski "The Stone Age Doc" The San Diego Archaeological Center is pleased to announce Dr. Philip Goscienski for the Center’s Second Saturday Visiting Scholar Lecture Series. Philosophers and poets have enthused over the benefits of wine for centuries and modern scientists are doing the same over chocolate. Wine, especially the red variety, has hundreds of ingredients that help to us ward off infection and heart disease. Chocolate really does have health benefits but you need to know what kind of chocolate and how much is enough. More Info
March 6, 2009 Friday to March 7, 2009 Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At: Lakeside Historical Society Olde Community Church	Congress of History of San Diego & Imperial Counties 44th Annual History Conference "First We Thirst" The History of Water in the San Diego and Imperial Co. Regions Exciting topics and speakers will be posted at a later time. Annual Awards, Booksellers of historically related books and Historical Organizations' Display Tables will be available for conference attendees to enjoy. For more information visit www.congressofhistory.org or contact Helen Halmay at the Congress of History 619-469-7283 or email: hghalmay@aol.com.
April 11, 2009 Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p m.	Flint Knapping Day Archaeology with Tim Gross PhD The San Diego Archaeological Center is once again offering the public an opportunity to create pieces of the past by attending the 7th Annual Flint Knapping Day. Participants ages 12 and older can learn to make stone tools using methods thousands of years old. Dr. Timothy Gross, Principal Archaeologist for Affinis will lead the workshop. Dr. Gross will share his comparative collection of replicated lithic tools and discuss some of the actual ancient stone tools in the Center’s vast collections. If you are a veteran knapper or have attended other knapping courses held elsewhere in country, you are also invited to come and share your technique with other knappers living in San Diego County. All knapping supplies will be provided by the Center. Protective eyewear and gloves will be provided for those who do not have their own knapping gear. Appropriate clothing and footwear is required, no shorts, sandals, or flip-flops. You are encouraged to bring a sack lunch and enjoy the beauty and serenity of the San Pasqual Valley. Snacks, water, and drinks will be furnished. Cost is $10 for members and $35 for non-members. For more information, contact Annemarie Cox via email at aocx@sandiegoarchaeology.org or call 760-291-0370.Please register early; space is limited.

 

********************************

Exhibits

Currently on exhibit at the Center:

A Letter from the Ocean Hotel,
A Victorian Lady Traveler’s Adventures in San Diego, 1888   

The San Diego Archaeological Center and ASM Affiliates are pleased to have produced this exhibit as part of the San Diego Airport Authority’s Cultural Exhibit Program.  The Center was recently presented with an "Award Of Excellence For Historic Preservation" for this exhibit by the City of San Diego Historic Resources Board.

The exhibit narrator is a fictional character, Gemma Penthorpe, an adventurous English lady who came to San Diego as part of her season abroad. She lodged at the Ocean House Hotel, which operated at the corner of Seventh and K Streets. On exhibit are glassware, dishes, bottles and personal items and items dating from the late 1880s.

In 2002, Carlsbad-based ASM Affiliates excavated a block in San Diego’s East Village. The excavation revealed an archaeological record of the people, businesses and lifestyles during the 1880s. San Diego in 1888 was at the end of a frenzied although fragile period of growth. A rail ticket from Chicago dropped from $175 to just $1 in 1886. The population had grown to 40,000 and people speculated heavily on land. By 1890 the balloon busted, the population dropped to 16,000 and the land was relatively worthless.

Principal Archaeologist Dr. Jerry Schaefer was surprised at the extent of the collection, “I was born and raised in New York City, one of the largest and influential metropolises in the world.  Yet I am constantly surprised at how much San Diego's urban history and archaeology resembles places like that, but in microcosm.  Although very small in population and marginalized by geography, politics, and history; San Diego grew to have many of the same ethnic enclaves and people with very similar personal aspirations, not to mention the similar problems of urban growth.” 

ASM Affiliates is a regional cultural resource management firm offering archaeological and historical studies for compliance with local, state, and federal environmental requirements throughout the greater Southwest.

 

****************************************************************

Many Hands

Explore the Center's Collections of vessels, tools and objects representing thousands of years of San Diego's history and prehistory.

 

*****************************************************************

 

Trade and Travel

Today Mission Valley is bisected by Interstate 8, which is a vital transportation artery linking the city of San Diego with areas to the east, through El Centro and Yuma, and all the way to Phoenix, Arizona.

The Trade and Travel exhibit explores the trade route followed by Interstate 8 that has been used as a major thoroughfare for thousands of years – not as a freeway, of course, but as a trail used by ancient Native Americans.  The Mission Valley trail was one of many in use during the “Late Prehistoric” period (1300 years ago until historic contact with Spanish missionaries in the mid-eighteenth century) by different Native American groups.

Steatite, shell beads, obsidian and pottery all provide evidence of trade and travel in this intriguing presentation.

 

 

**************************************************************

Excellence in Archaeology

The winning projects from the 1st Annual Excellence in Archaeology Celebration and Awards Ceremony are presented in an exhibit that honors collections curated at the center that represent Excellence in Education, Cultural Heritage and Scientific Research. This temporary exhibit will be expanded for viewing at San Diego International Airport in 2008.

****************************************************************

 

 

Text and some graphics of exhibits can be found on the Virtual Museum and Newsletters page.

Top of Page