THE SAN GABRIEL MISSION
ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE
HOW TO BE SAFE AT THE SITE
� DO NOT wear Red or Green - these are signals to the train.
� DO wear sturdy shoes.
� DO cover your ears when a train is coming.
� DO stay inside the cones.
� DO follow the path to the viewing platform.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE AT THE SITE?
What’s an
archeologist?
What do they
do?
Why do we
need them?
� Archeologists at work!
� …but that isn’t:
Treasure Hunter
PalentologistsOnly Digs Tombs
WHAT WILL YOU SEE AT THE SITE?
What is an
archeologist?
What do they
do?
Why do we
need them?
� Archeologists at work!
� Archeologists study
the human past.
� Culture
� Behavior
WHAT IS AN ARCHEOLOGIST?
� Study past humans
� Study artifacts
� Search for any type of
artifact
� Excavate any site
� Study animals
� Study fossils
� Search only for
treasure
� Excavate only tombs
ARCHEOLOGISTS DO… ARCHEOLOGISTS DON’T…
TERMS TO KNOW…
TERMS TO
KNOW:
Artifact
Fossil
Site
� Fossils: are the remains of plants or
animals that are preserved in the
earth’s crust
� Artifacts: are objects that are made or
used by people
� Site: is a geographic location where
there is evidence of past human
habitation
This site is where we can see evidence of the Gabrielino-Tongva people, the
Spanish, the early settlers, and the beginnings of the City of San Gabriel.
THIS IS THE SITE THAT YOU WILL VISIT
WHAT WORK IS BEING DONE?
Research
starts with
asking
questions that
Archeologists
hope to
answer.
� Formulate Research Questions.
� When was this site first occupied? Is there
evidence of the Tongva village of
Shevaanga?
� Which artifacts belong only to the
Tongva? Which artifacts are a mix of the
Tongva and Spanish?
� Aside from gardening…what other
activities took place here?
WHAT WORK IS BEING DONE?
Field work is
going to
explore a site
first hand to
search for
artifacts.
� Field Work
Survey and Map the Site
Excavate the Site
WHAT WORK IS BEING DONE?
Small amounts of soil are excavated at a time.
Work is done carefully with shovels and brushes.
When an artifact is found, digging stops and recording starts.
WHAT WORK IS BEING DONE?
Usually, you
only see the
work that
archeologists
do once it is is
a MUSEUM.
(Like at the
Mission
Museum)
� Lab Work
� Artifacts are taken back to a lab for
analysis.
� Curation
� Once artifacts have been studied, they
are taken to a Museum.
One last thing to look for…The Layers
of Time (Strata)
� Strata are layers of soil that have
built up over time. The deeper you dig
the older things are.
Preschool: Little People Toys
1st Grade: Duplo Legos
Now: Complicated Lego SetsPRESENT
PAST
WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THIS VISIT?
The excavation of this site is only going to
last a few weeks. Once the artifacts are
moved to a lab, work will begin to lower the
train tracks.
Once the train tracks are lowered,
you won’t see trains above ground
and our chance to study what is
below ground will be over.