Presidio Is Area’s Prinicipal Archeological Site

San Diego, like much of Southern California, has relatively few sites that are likely to generate significant archeological finds.

“There are no jewels out there waiting to be polished,” according to Gary Rollefson, a San Diego State University anthropology professor who has worked extensively at a dig in Jordan.

San Diego’s only “significant site” is the Presidio, according to Brad Bartel, a professor of anthropology and associate dean of SDSU’s graduate division and research. Bartel, who is supervising work at the Presidio, said the site has generated a wave of artifacts that offer insights into life after the Spanish arrived.

Some of SDSU’s 40 anthropology students work at the Presidio, or travel to sites around the world where Bartel, Rollefson and anthropology professor Joe Ball conduct research. Some SDSU students use their anthropological and archeological training as a springboard to become contract archeologists--experts who determine if planned developments will disturb significant artifacts. A handful of SDSU students seek master’s degrees, and a few go on to receive a doctorate.

At the University of San Diego, only a handful of the university’s 10 anthropology majors are likely to continue in archeology after completing their undergraduate work, according to anthropology professor Alana Cordy-Collins, who has spent 17 summers at pre-Inca digs in South America, Cordy-Collins said.

However, students at USD do occasionally decide to pursue graduate work: Three current students recently surprised Cordy-Collins by announcing their intent to spend a vacation doing research in South America.

UC San Diego, which has an anthropology department, does not have archeologists on its staff. However, UCSD soon will add a Biblical archeologist, and administrators are considering the addition of a Mideast archeologist.