Lost Adobe facts for kids
The Lost Adobe is a special place near Mission Santa Cruz in California. It's the site of a mystery building whose stone foundations were found in 1978. Before digging, experts searched old records, but found no mention of this building. So, they called it the "Lost Adobe."
From 1981 to 1984, archaeologists dug up the site. They found foundations for at least 18 rooms. Many old items were discovered, like glass beads and pottery pieces. These clues suggest the building was home to Yokut and Ohlone families. These Native American families lived at the Santa Cruz Mission in the 1820s and 1830s. The Lost Adobe fell apart in the 1800s, and nothing is left today. The land is private, so people cannot visit it.
Finding the Mystery Building
The stone foundations of the Lost Adobe were first found on Adobe Court. This discovery happened in 1978. The foundations showed a long series of adobe rooms. These rooms were similar to another adobe building nearby. That building, at the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, was built for the Native American people. The newly found foundations angled toward the original Mission Church site. Today, the Holy Cross Church and graveyard stand there.
Ruby Tefertiller and her son Casey lived next door to the site. They had already found old Mission Era roof tiles on their land. Ruby and Jim Tefertiller were worried about losing historical information. So, they invited the Cabrillo College Archaeological Program to investigate. Rob Edwards led this program. The team worked on the property from 1981 to 1984.
What Was Found During the Dig?
During the digging, many interesting items were found. These artifacts came from the Spanish Mission and Mexican Republic times. The finds included stone tools made from obsidian and chert. There were arrow points, scrapers, and ground stone tools.
Lots of adobe building materials were also found. These included baked roof tiles and unbaked floor tiles. Many adobe wall bricks were present too. Small glass beads and pieces of Majolica pottery were discovered. Copper items, a simple clay "doll," and several phoenix buttons were also among the finds. These discoveries suggest the building housed Yokut and Ohlone families. These Native American people lived at Mission Santa Cruz.
Why Was It Called "Lost"?
The digging showed a long series of foundations. There were at least eighteen rooms on the Tefertiller property. The foundations might have extended onto the Church property too. This would mean possibly 10 or 11 more rooms.
An old book, "Story of the Mission Santa Cruz," mentions two rows of adobe houses. It says a stream ran between them. An official list from 1835 describes a 17-room adobe. This matches the size of the School Street Adobe, which is now a state park. The same 1835 list also mentions a 29-room building. It was said to be almost 600 feet long.
These old descriptions fit the 29-room structure of the "Lost Adobe." However, we cannot be completely sure. It is still a mystery if this is the exact building mentioned in the old records. That's why it's called the "Lost Adobe."
