The 50th anniversary of the Calico Mountains Archaeological Excavation will be recognized at the San Bernardino County Museum by a special exhibit, “50 Years Ago: The Calico Dig.” The exhibit will open on October 11 and continue through November 9, 2014. A companion exhibit at the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley will open October 18.
The Calico Mountains Archaeological Site (once called the Calico Early Man Site) is a quarry and tool production site near Yermo, California. For thousands of years, prehistoric people gathered chalcedony and chert from which to fashion tools for hunting, preparing food, and manufacturing other tools.
The Calico Mountains Archaeological Site was established in 1964 by Dr. Louis Leakey, Ruth DeEtte (Dee) Simpson, and Dr. Gerald A. Smith, then director of the San Bernardino County Museum. The National Geographic Society funded the first four years of excavation. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is the only site in the Americas where Dr. Leakey, famous for his groundbreaking work in Africa’s Olduvai Gorge, directed a project. The site has been continuously excavated for 50 years and is still being excavated by trained volunteers, college classes, and scout groups.
The Friends of the Calico Early Man Site, incorporated in 1981, cares for and protects this important public resource and provided the funding for this exhibit.
The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 am to 5pm. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit
www.sbcountymuseum.org. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669.
Back
