Cabrillo Students Land Presidio Dig
By Maria T. Garcia
Presidio - Santa Cruz County Sentinel, 7-26-96
Molly Ramos had dreams of spending her summer vacation studying archaeology in Israel. But the UC Santa Cruz senior settled for three weeks at the Presidio of San Francisco. And she's glad she did. Ramos and other students from the Archaeological Technology Program at Cabrillo College held an open house at the Presidio of San Francisco Wednesday to share the findings of their three-week excavation and investigation of remains of a chapel from the Spanish and pre-colonial mission period.
"We found tremendous artifacts," said Cabrillo College archaeologist instructor and project director Rob Edwards.
Among the artifacts found by the students were pieces of Mexican and Chinese pottery, bullet fragments and beads, all dating back to the 1770's. They also discovered the foundations comprising the southern boundary of the Presidio in what they're calling "the first formal scientific excavation of the Presidio," which was established in 1776. The artifacts collected tell of the everyday life of inhabitants of the Presidio site: Ohlone Indians, Spanish colonists, Mexican settlers and United States soldiers and their families.
Cabrillo College's Archaeological Technology Program was selected by historical archaeologist Leo Barker of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Barker also works with the Golden Gate National Park Association, which contracted with the college to conduct the archaeological research. The park association gave funding for the instructor salaries and provided housing for the four nights per week the group stayed.
One was discovery of a small, silver crucifix from that period. Another was an ocarina, a small clay hand pipe used to accompany choirs. They were found in a building believed to be the chapel because its stone foundations extended far into the plaza of the rectangular fort. Most of the fort's rooms extend into the plaza the same distance, Barker said, although the chapel traditionally was given more prominence.
Many of the Presidio's records were lost in the 1906 earthquake, and archaeological findings from this project are important in reconstructing the history of the former military post. "We wanted meticulous, professional work and we thought of Cabrillo College," Barker said. "We are completely happy with the work they've done. They have pleased everyone."
The "real-world" training is the most significant component of the student's vocational training, Edwards said. "Everyone talks about extending education outside of school. Here they are - going underneath the walls and finding their foundations," Edwards said, pointing to three students crouched over a trench where the chapel's foundations were first identified.
The hands-on experience was everything Ramos, 26, wanted out of her field school instruction. She didn't care where it was, but she certainly wasn't expecting to find archaeological training in the middle of a city. Ramos was originally bound for a field training school in Israel. That program was longer in duration, but it also cost about $3,000. Ramos changed her mind and decided on the Presidio of San Francisco. The costs for the Cabrillo College course and overall costs, including a cook's salary, was about $400.
"People assume you have to be out in the middle of nowhere to do archaeological work," Ramos said. "But so many things are covered up - who knows what's out there." The Archaeological Technology Program students proved otherwise when they made the discoveries three weeks ago.
Before the excavation at the presidio, Santa Cruz resident and Cabrillo College sophomore Clint Brewer was slightly interested in archaeology, but now he "just fell in love with it," Brewer said while taking a break from mapping the side walls of a trench where several artifacts were found.
The group returned to Santa Cruz Thursday but the labor doesn't stop there. the recovered artifacts will be brought back to Cabrillo College for processing and cataloging. They will make conservation recommendations to the National Park Service, which is converting the Presidio of San Francisco to a national park as part of nationwide closing of military bases.
The Presidio of San Francisco is one of the four former Spanish forts on the West Cost. Others are located in Monterey, Santa Barbara and Presidio de Loreto in Baja California. The forts were used to protect nearby missions and civilian settlements.
Edwards began teaching anthropology at Cabrillo College in 1971. He began directing the Archaeological Technology Program in 1992. Under his supervision, past students of the program have been involved in several projects, including one at Holy Cross Church in 1993 in which they helped uncover a juncture where the mission church met the priest's quarters. Recent projects include the discovery of ancient native american drawings in a remote section of Los Padres National Forest last year.
The anthropology department has received numerous grants including a National Science Foundation grant.
The Archaeological Technology Program was recently recognized by the Society for California Archaeology as an exemplary program for archaeology and public information.
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