San Dieguito complex facts for kids
The San Dieguito complex describes the way of life of ancient people. These people lived in what is now Southern California, parts of the Southwestern United States, and northwestern Mexico. They lived during the early Holocene period. Scientists used Radiocarbon dating to find out when these people lived. They found that the San Dieguito complex dates back about 10,200 years ago. This is around 8200 BCE.
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Discovering the San Dieguito People
A scientist named Malcolm J. Rogers first found signs of the San Dieguito complex in 1919. He found them at a place called SDI-W-240 in Escondido, San Diego County, California. Rogers called these ancient people 'Scraper Makers'. This was because they often made stone tools called scrapers. These tools were flaked on only one side.
Early Ideas About the San Dieguito Complex
In 1929, Rogers thought that the 'Scraper Makers' were the second group of people to live in the area. He believed they came after people from the Shell Midden culture. This Shell Midden culture is now known as the La Jolla complex. Their remains were found closer to the coast.
Finding Older Evidence
Later, in 1938, Rogers dug at a site called the C. W. Harris Site (CA-SDI-149). This site is in Rancho Santa Fe. His digging showed that the San Dieguito remains were found underneath the La Jolla remains. This meant the San Dieguito people lived there before the La Jolla people. Their tools were found at the very bottom of the layers of earth.
Confirming the Dates
More digging at the Harris Site proved Rogers' ideas were correct. Scientists used Radiocarbon dating to find the age of the site. They found that the San Dieguito people lived there as far back as 10,200 years ago (8200 BCE).
Tools of the San Dieguito People
The San Dieguito complex is known for certain types of stone tools.
- Scrapers: There were many scrapers. These were used for cleaning animal hides or shaping wood.
- Large Bifaces: They also made large, heavy bifaces. These were stone tools flaked on both sides.
- Crescentic Stones: Another unique tool was flaked crescent-shaped stones.
- Projectile Points: They used spear points like the Lake Mohave or Silver Lake styles.
- Missing Tools: The San Dieguito sites had very few or no milling tools, like manos and metates. These tools are used for grinding seeds. They also did not have small projectile points or pottery.
See also
In Spanish: Cultura de San Dieguito para niños
