Inland Empire Community Newspapers • March 21, 2013 • Page A5

Calico remains destination of modernpaleontologists; opened door to new era

By Harvey M. Kahn

It's not your imagination ifyou thought that portions ofSan Bernardino County look

about 200,000 years old. Some ofthe world's top paleontologistshave found evidence suggestingthat homo erectus once inhabitedthe shores of the now dry LakeManix in Calico. Enough prehis-toric artifacts were unearthedthere in 1954, that renowned sci-entist Dr. Louis Leakey declaredCalico a site of extreme interest.Leakey was motivated to SanBernardino after seeing evidence

shown to him by the late SanBernardino archaeologist Dr.Ruth D. Simpson.

Though the Bureau of LandManagement says that researchersfirst found primitive stone tools atCalico in 1942, the old westernmining town did not officially be-come a prehistoric dig until 1964,when Leakey secured a grantfrom the National Geographic So-ciety. Leakey's notoriety was en-hanced by some of his landmarkdiscoveries of early man at theOlduvai Gorge in Tanzania,Africa.

Leakey took Simpson's leadand became the project managerof excavations at Calico. Until

then, he thought the America'swere less significant as far as theorigins of man. Leakey success-fully gained additional fundingfor "The Calico Early Man Dig"from the University of Pennsylva-nia, the Wilke Foundation, UCLAas well as National Geographic.The Bureau of Land Managementsaid that Leakey once had 25 to30 paid staffers onsite at Calico.Leakey's health and credibilitywaned but he insisted that stoneartifacts found at Calico were di-rectly related to those he found inAfrica. Critics say Leakey's find-ings in Calico are insignificantbecause there have been no corre-sponding human or animal bonesunearthed at the site.

Before her death, Simpsoncalled the Calico Mountain ar-chaeological site a mother lode oftool quality material which drewpeople to inhabit the valley.Simpson told University of Maineofficials that ancient tools foundat Calico showed the extent ofman's early craftsmanship. "Cal-ico makes apparent the need to re-evaluate the archaeological andgeological data from previouslyknown sites." Simpson predictedthat Calico will eventually beknown as a site that will opendoors, "Into a whole new chapterof American archaeology, estab-lishing that man was here and wasan accomplished tool maker in theMiddle Pleistocene."

By the time Leakey died in1972 and Simpson in 2000, mostall the funding was used up. Now,there is the nonprofit, "TheFriends of the Calico Early ManSite" which works in partnershipwith the San Bernardino CountyMuseum to keep Calico alive.The site is under the jurisdictionof the Bureau of Land Manage-ment. On the first Saturday andSunday of each month from Oc-tober to May, about 10-50 volun-teers make the trek to Calico insearch of artifacts. "It's the oldestactive dig in the U.S.," said cur-rent Friends of Calico Dig projectmanager Adella Schroth. "It is theonly archaeological site in Cali-fornia where the public is allowedto participate. We welcome

everyone." Schroth said therehave been those from throughoutthe world come to the Calico site."We find something every timewe go out there," said Schroth,who serves also as the SanBernardino County Museum Cu-rator of Anthropology.

The Meetup.com/Friends ofthe Calico Early Man Site, saysthat volunteers will be taught toidentify man-made artifacts from

naturally formed geofacts; how todig and record findings; helpmanage and preserve a unique ar-chaeological site; and hear lec-tures about geology, astronomyand early man. There is no chargeto participate with the Friends ofCalico group, however annualmemberships are available for$20 families; $15 per; or $10 stu-dents. Members can participate inboard of directors decisions.

PHOTO COURTESYBLM PHOTO

Dr. Louis Leakey led Calico Man Dig for nine years.

PHOTO COURTESY/BLM PHOTO

Former San Bernardino County Museum Curator Dr. RuthSimpson just prior to her death in 2000. Was driving force behindCalico Man Dig

PHOTO COURTESY/BSB COUNTY MUSEUM PHOTO

Dr. Adella "Dee" Schroth (Left) and Dr. Mary Karhu at the San Bernardino County Museumidentifying artifacts found at Calico Archaeological Site.

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