Laguna Fire Uncovered Ancient Past : * Sites Where Prehistoric Native Americans Lived Should Be Protected From Misuse

The horrible fire that swept through Laguna Beach in October has produced an unimagined boon to archeologists. In Crystal Cove State Park, the fire burned off vegetation that had obscured some rock shelters and overhangs used by prehistoric Native Americans.

The discovery has given archeologists access to primitive cutting and grinding tools, ancient cooking fire sites and drawings on the faces of rocks.

These simple discoveries bring to our attention the rich past of this region a very long time before it began to sprout housing tracts and malls. Indeed, the spare efficiency and respectful use of the land found in these ancient sites stands in contrast to some of the more perilous structures thrown up along Southern California’s coastal regions in modern times. In revealing something of our region’s humble past, could nature also be reminding us in some way of the simplicity of needs in this favorable climate?

Whatever historical lessons may lie in these findings, there is reason enough to celebrate and respect them.

The park now is closed, but the sites and the land are at risk until new vegetation grows in and reduces the danger of slides or erosion. And, as is the case in the Santa Monica Mountains, where other such sites have been uncovered, those who disturb these ancient areas should be prosecuted.

There is a need to preserve these findings from erosion and carelessness. In the meantime, officials wisely have put down or are planning to put down control blankets to anchor the soil in these areas. These new findings supplement others found earlier along the Southern California coastline, and they argue for the value of preserved open space like that in Crystal Cove, so that development does not run or bulldoze over the history of the region, and thus separate us from a past that could be lost forever.