Lordsburg Dig site to expand
Campus Times
October 31, 1997
photo by Alen Zilic
This is the fourth semester for BHV 409, Lordsburg Excavation, and
the digging keeps on going. The course is open to all students. Each student
archaeologist removes 10 cm of earth at the site, sifting it for artifacts.
This week, Jennifer Grey found a penny, dated in the late 1800s. The age
of other found objects is still to be determined.
Now in its fourth semester of excavation, the Lordsburg Dig is hoping
to see new ground made toward expanding the site through a proposal made
by Anne Duffield-Stoll, director of the dig site.
The idea of the dig proposal would enable the site to expand further
north toward Third Street. It would also help the new teacher program that
allows elementary school teachers and any other interested members of the
public to get hands on knowledge of what an excavation actually consists
of.
"I would certainly carry the proposal to the Board of Trustees
and I am very supportive of her in drawing up the proposal," said President
Stephen Morgan.
"We have taught over 20 teachers from the fifth and sixth grade
levels about the importance of archaeology and used this site as the teaching
tool," said Duffield-Stoll. "They are then able to turn around
and teach and use the ideas learned to really turn the kids on to learning
especially with history, science and the scientific method."
The dig is taking place in the area where the Lordsburg Hotel, the University's
first building, rested from 1891 to 1927.
According to Duffield-Stoll, the program is really catching on and it
also creates revenue because the districts these teachers are from pay for
the one day seminar. La Quinta School District of the Palm Springs area
and Colton School District have shown explicit interest in the program,
sending numerous faculty to the site.
Interests have also gone as far as some teachers turning around and
bringing back their classes to the mock excavation site to the west of the
Hanawalt House on Second Street.
Duffield-Stoll said she found after researching the site that they had
only excavated the southeastern area of the initial dig.
"I really feel that the importance of the site and the opportunity
offered to the students of La Verne, the teacher program, and other interested
public is really being greatly recognized. People are just really starting
to realize the impact of something like this to the community," said
Duffield-Stoll
Another reason Duffield-Stoll likes the site is because of the preservation
factors at this particular dig.
"The level of preservation at the site is extraordinary, we have
found preserved eucalyptus seeds, a sewing kit, and not to mention 100-year-old
blonde human hair, and that is just outstanding," said Duffield-Stoll.
