A Big Find May Lie Down the Road : Ancient Indian Relics Uncovered at Site of Highway Project

As automobiles whizzed by, heading to and from Laguna Beach, a Caltrans archeological team meticulously sifted through dirt, looking for clues to what happened at the site perhaps 1,000 years ago.

The findings could enrich the knowledge of the area’s history significantly, said John Romani, an archeologist with the state Department of Transportation. If they do, a proposed widening of Laguna Canyon Road might be postponed while a full excavation is conducted.

But the discoveries so far have been restricted to a point just west of the road project, which would not pose a problem for construction. And so far, nothing of spectacular significance has been found--mostly hundreds of chips of animal bones, stones and arrowheads.

Still, the tiny chips could unlock secrets to the history of the area. And an archeologist will be on hand during construction of the additional lanes.

After nearly a month of scratching at the ground, the Caltrans archeologists theorize that a group, or groups, of Indians used the location as a camp site during hunting excursions. They probably were either Juanenos or Gabrielinos who returned on several occasions, possibly year after year, Romani said.

The flat area is adjacent to a small box canyon, which would have been perfect for cornering animals, he said. The site is “just like a good fishing hole, that’s easy to see,” Romani said.

The archeologists, who finished their diggings Friday, will spend this week analyzing their findings in a laboratory. In about three weeks, they will make a recommendation to the state Historical Preservation Office on whether the area should be recommended for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

In July, 1983, Romani and two other archeologists surveyed the construction area and discovered a few pieces of shell and stone flakes on a 150-by-100-foot patch of Irvine Co. land. The site is on the west side of Laguna Canyon Road, about 200 yards south of El Toro Road.

Last month, using a six-member crew, Romani and fellow Caltrans archeologist Bob Wlodarski began digging up hundreds of pieces of rabbit and deer bone, shell fish fragments and arrowhead points, which probably were broken off in the kill, Romani said.

The discoveries “could provide important information to the area,” he said. “Only through this type of (project) can you find out what was going on.”

Archeologists are digging in an area that Caltrans plans to widen from two to four lanes. The $7-million project would involve the stretch of highway between Canyon Acres Drive and El Toro Road. Construction is scheduled to begin in December, 1987.

Although the road widening is planned for only a small portion of the highway, the archeological team surveyed the length of the road to the Interstate 405 on-ramp, Romani said.

Laguna Canyon is the site of several ancient Indian camps, Romani said. In their survey, the archeologists also came upon sites where inhabitants probably ground seeds. Current canyon residents also have stopped by the diggings to tell the archeologists about other sites in the canyon.

For now, at least, the archeologists’ attention is on the latest find, which has the potential to “be a site like no other . . . in this area,” Romani said.