October is California Archaeology Month, and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is celebrating it with Archaeology Day on October 19 from 10 to 4 p.m. The family friendly event will take place at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch.
The following activities will take place:
Native American performances
An opportunity to dig up “artifacts” like an archaeologist in the hands-on excavation box
Practice throwing an atlatl spear at a target
Watch flint knapping demonstrations as experts turn stone into arrowheads
See genuine local artifacts on display
Learn more about history and prehistory with our hands-on replica artifact tables
Learn about the difference between archaeologists and paleontologists (hint: archaeologists don’t dig for dinosaur bones)
Presentations by local archaeologists
Learn about anthropology programs in local schools
Learn about Native American history and become a Junior Ranger!
This event & parking is free and open to the public. Sign up is optional and can be done here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/archaeology-day-tickets-72413323199
Questions about this event? Call (805)-370-2301 or email: Samo_Interpretation@nps.gov.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit nps.gov/samo.
Submitted by Ana Beatriz Cholo, Public Affairs Officer
