Progress Notes

1991. One of our Desert Studies instructors told us that if we wanted to get experience on a real archeology dig we could volunteer at the Calico Early Man Site. She quickly added, "it is a disputed site so you won't be able to get any kind of official credit. They are professional, though, and they do everything the right way." That statement didn't mean much at the time.

Calico 021 copy.jpg Tools used at the Calico Early Man Archeology Site

We had ...

The legend of the Calico Early Man Site continues:

Calico 019 copy.jpg


When Dee Simpson met Louis Leakey in 1959, he was already famous in the fields of Archeology and Paleoanthropology. Also in 1959, Mary Leakey, his wife and partner would find the fossilized skull cap of Zinjanthropus in Africa, pushing the origins of mankind back to 1.75 million years ago. Her discovery would make the Leakeys world famous and Louis Leakey a household name.
...

I learned bits and pieces of the legend of the Calico Site while digging in the pit to the west of Master Pit #1. When you are digging on your knees for hours, you have time to talk. Some of the story I heard from Dee Simpson herself at a picnic they had for the members and volunteers. I was brand new and I knew next to nothing but I realized it was an honor to hear some of the highlights of the story of the Calico Early Man Site from her.

Dee Simpson had collected some good samples ...

Calico 045 copy.jpg

111 degrees. Summer arrived in the Mojave Desert yesterday before noon. I was happy in the heat, hearing the crunch of the Goodrich All Terrains in the sand and gravel of the trail as we crested the rise and rolled into the Calico Early Man Archeological Site. The Site Manager came out the door of the shed that used to be the Administration Building and walked quickly across to us as I was rolling down the window of the Jeep. "Hi! We used to dig ...

Owl Creek 023.jpg

The hardened and uplifted layer of ash is at the lower right. Camel footprints are underneath the ash layer.

Owl Creek 010.jpg

A clear camel track is at the upper right. The gouged out areas in the middle and lower left are where someone removed tracks illegally. This is why archeologists, paleontologists and anthropologists don't give out exact locations for publication outside professional journals.
...