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?
Archeologists at work!
…but that isn’t:
What do they
do?
Why do we
need them?
Only Digs Tombs
Palentologists
Treasure Hunter
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?
ARCHEOLOGISTS DO…
Study past humans
Study artifacts
Search for any type of
artifact
Excavate any site
ARCHEOLOGISTS DON’T…
Study animals
Study fossils
Search only for
treasure
Excavate only tombs
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 IS THE SITE THAT YOU WILL VISIT
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.
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.
PRESENT
Now: Complicated Lego Sets
1st Grade: Duplo Legos
PAST
Preschool: Little People Toys
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.