The sun and sky remain constant above the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, immune to time.

But the earth, the very ground where Kumeyaay families made their homes for thousands of years before giving way to Spanish missionaries and American ranchers, is not so fortunate. In this place and time, it is a shelter to secrets of history, unexcavated clues to the way things were.

So it is that researchers and other seekers are drawn to this protected valley dividing the northern suburbs of Mira Mesa and Rancho Peñasquitos like they were Saturday, when hundreds turned out to celebrate International Archaeology Day.

“We are promoting awareness for archaeology,” said Marla Mealy of the San Diego County Archaeological Society, which hosted the event dubbed Arch at the Park. “Our mission is to educate the public and encourage preservation of cultural resources in San Diego County.”


Mealy, who works as a California State Parks archaeologist, said Arch in the Park is an opportunity to show people the benefits of examining earlier cultures.

“We have to know what happened in the past to understand ourselves in the future,” she said. “If we don’t know where we came from, it’s hard to understand who we are.”

About two dozen universities, nonprofit groups and environmental consulting firms sponsored informational booths and exhibits as part of the daylong observance.

Stephanie Vader took a stab at basket weaving, the centuries-old art so critical to Native American life.


“We’re gaining some appreciation for being able to purchase things to hold our food in from a store,” said Vader, a mother of two young girls whose straw-and-reed creation was just taking shape. “It’s kind of fun.”

The archaeological society raffled off baskets of books and crafts every half hour as part of its annual fundraising.

Just outside the courtyard of the historic Los Peñasquitos Adobe Ranch House, erected in 1823 by Capt. Francisco Maria Ruiz, a Kumeyaay Indian told stories about life during centuries past.

At another table, archaeologist Kurt McLean was kneading and hydrating mounds of clay.


“I was fortunate enough to learn from one of the best in the Paipai community,” McLean said, referring to another band of Native Americans who made their homes in northern Mexico. “I harken back to my teacher any time I see a pottery shard.”

Cece Holm and Clarissa Dieck were staffing a booth hosted by San Diego State University.

The two graduate students were touting the importance of archaeology and anthropology, and talking about how the science relates to any human endeavor.

“It’s about understanding ourselves,” Holm said. “You can apply it to anything.”


Dieck said attractions like Arch in the Park help expose more people to a discipline that does not always grab the attention and respect it deserves.

“We are definitely under-funded and under-appreciated,” she said. “A lot of people don’t think it’s important, so they focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).”

In addition to Saturday being International Archaeological Day, October is designated as archaeological month by colleges and universities across the country.

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald