Tijuana River Reserve, California

Archaeological Discovery at the Tijuana River Reserve Provides Insight into Local History and Ecology

Scientists have been uncovering an exceptionally well-preserved archaeological site at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, near San Diego, California. The site was found buried under several feet of fill during construction of a 20-acre restoration project. It has unique potential to yield important clues about the historic relationship between people and San Diego coastal wetlands.

Preliminary carbon-14 dating indicates that the site is 1,600 years old, representing a period of time that is poorly understood by archaeologist. The preservation of this site is so great that the artifacts probably lay exactly where they were discarded 1,600 years ago. The pristine stratigraphic picture reveals how small groups of Kumeyaay Indians used a spit of sand that protruded into the former marsh as a base for their shellfish processing operations. The Kumeyaay camped on the sand and harvested millions of oysters, scallops and clams for steaming and baking. Changes in the types of shell they gathered over time reflects the health of the marsh.