Ancient Artifacts Unearthed in San Gabriel Mission Dig
Mixed reaction from tribal leaders over construction project on sacred ground
AP
The thousands of artifacts -- some 200 years old -- reveal the secrets and roots of the San Gabriel Mission “and really Southern California as a whole,” said John Dietler, lead archeologist on the dig.
Among the artifacts are remnants of an early-19th Century adobe structure belonging to the Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe, whose representatives told NBCLA they have mixed feelings about the dig.
They said although they understand the need for development, they’re worried about disturbing human remains, which they said would mean disturbing the spirits of their ancestors.
Tribal leaders estimate that around 6,000 Indians are buried in the area, archeologists said.
The Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority project will lower the elevation of a mile-and-a-half stretch of tracks used by Union Railroad Pacific in the San Gabriel area, allowing vehicles and pedestrians to pass overhead.
No completion date has yet been set for the project.
A spokesman for ACE said the project will “create 8,964 full-time equivalent jobs” and “eliminate an estimated 1,744 hours of vehicle delay per day."
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