San Diego Archaeological Center
Mission
The mission of the San Diego Archaeological Center is to preserve and
curate prehistoric and historic archaeological artifacts and to promote
the educational, cultural and scientific use of archaeological collections
in partnership with American Indians, cultural groups and the communities
we serve.
The San Diego Archaeological Center is committed to establishing a
sense of community among ethnic groups, professional and avocational
archaeological groups, and serving as an educational resource for the
general public.
History
In 1990, as partial compensation for the destruction of two archaeological
sites, a local developer was fined $168,000. The County of San Diego
turned the funds over to the San Diego County Archaeological Society
(SDCAS) to find an answer to the “curation crisis” existing
in San Diego. The SDCAS Board of Directors appointed a committee to
find an existing nonprofit agency which could house archaeological collections;
or, bring one into being. The latter path was selected and the San Diego
Repository Corporation (SDRC) was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation
in July 1993 with the sole purpose of founding an archaeological repository
in San Diego County. The San Diego Repository Corporation changed its
name to the San Diego Archaeological Center (SDAC) in 1997 and plans
were underway to open a repository.
Since opening our doors in 1998, the Center has become a nationally
recognized leader in the curation of archaeological collections, meeting
the requirements set forth in Federal regulation 36 CFR Part 79 (Curation
of Federally-Owned and Administered Archaeological Collections) and
State of California Guidelines for the Curation of Archaeological Collections.
The Center curates collections for the Department of the Navy Southwest
Division, was selected as the Southern California federal repository
by the US Army Corps of Engineers Center of Expertise and has a Program
Assistance Agreement with the US Army to provide curation services for
all branches of the Department of Defense. The Center is also the only
approved curation facility for the City of San Diego, other local jurisdictions
and development firms. The Center has played an important part in the
development of the concept of curation and the advancement of the discipline
at a local and national level.
Who is involved?
The Center serves the general public and curation needs for federal,
state, local and private agencies. Our visitors are those who are interested
in archaeology, history and environmental issues. Our volunteers include
undergraduates, community members and professional archaeologists. We
provide limited education programs at this time, will increase by the
end of this year.
Projects
Exhibits: The San Diego Archaeological Center strives to offer a balanced
interpretation of history using artifacts as visual, tactile and spiritual
evidence of the cultures that make up San Diego, keeping in mind the
diverse interpretations and cultural patrimony of the objects on exhibit.
Our recent exhibit Rose Canyon: A walk through history used artifacts
recovered during compliance archaeology—a sewer project—to
describe the geological, natural and cultural history of one of San
Diego’s most beautiful canyons. We participate in the exhibit
program at the San Diego Airport.
School Age Program: The Center has provided classroom education to over
2,500 elementary and middle school children in the past two years. Due
to local construction and lack of bus availability in schools, we were
unable to expand our program while in Downtown San Diego. Now in our
new location, the Center will play an important role as an education
partner for local school districts. The Center has been invited to host
the national education program Project Archaeology in Southern California.
Project Archaeology is designed to teach America’s young citizens
to value and protect our nation’s rich cultural heritage.
Volunteer Program: The chance for citizens to participate in actual
fieldwork in San Diego is negligible, but our volunteer opportunities
allow the public to do “archaeology without the dirt” by
working with collections that need organization and computerization.
Center volunteers receive extensive orientation and training in collections
management, conducting visitor tours and administrative tasks. Volunteers
are a significant part of our work force, contributing 2,728 hours in
2003.
Student Internships: Student interns from local universities, colleges
and high schools have earned academic credit for working at the Center.
Our graduate and undergraduate student internship programs offer opportunities
tailored to the student’s needs. Our staff has the scope and breadth
of experience to give students a “real world” experience
and prepare them for future academic and employment challenges.
Lectures and Workshops: The second Saturday of every month is a special
event at the Center. Lectures and workshops for archaeological professionals
and students, or informative lectures for the general public are provided.
Lectures and workshops in the past have included topics on regional
archaeology and prehistory, lithic tool manufacturing and “Preserving
your own history at home” a class for the growing numbers of family
historians. Lectures and workshop scheduled for this year include Lithic
Tool Typology, Shell Identification, Exhibit Production (for local historical
organizations), Faunal Bone Identification, Prehistory of Otay Mesa
and History of the San Pasqual Valley.
Our Collections: The San Diego Archaeological Center currently curates
over 3,000 cubic feet of archaeological artifacts and associated documents
representing over 400 archaeological sites—the collections continue
to grow. The Center has collected and archived over 6,000 archaeological
reports, monographs and papers relating to local archaeology so that
ideas can be shared and research topics refined. The Center’s
lending library contains over 1,200 books and monographs, catalogued
on a computerized searchable database available for research.
Goals
To preserve archaeological collections and share them with the public
in the museum setting, educational programs and research.
Why we joined the Conservation Resources Network
To network with environmental groups.
How are we unique?
The San Diego Archaeological Center is the only nonprofit private organization
dedicated solely to the preservation of cultural resources in San Diego
and one of the first in the nation.
Business Partnerships?
We have a partnership with the San Diego River Park Foundation and are
sharing a development assistant position. We will shortly have a partnership
with California State Parks to run the Center in a state-owned facility.
We also have closed relationships with various historical groups.
Internship Opportunities:
Yes, we have collections management, exhibit, museum management, research
and public education internships for undergrads and grads.
Wish List
Inclusion of cultural resources consideration (especially curation)
in environmental planning
Response to EIRs, General Plans, etc., that include the above considerations
Partners for seeking funding
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Contact for more information:
16666 San Pasqual Valley Road,
Escondido, CA 92027
Voice 760-291-0370
Fax 760-291-0370
www.sandiegoarchaeology.org
Email cstankowski@sandiegoarchaeology.org
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