The San Agustin Mission Excavation - Weeks 4-5

The fourth and fifth weeks of field work at the San Agustin site have provided many exciting finds. Documentation of the mission granary has been completed and additional excavation units to expose the west compound wall will be completed soon. A small section of the wall has been located north of the granary, indicating it was over 97 meters long.

The stone foundation of the granary.

We are now exploring the area beneath Mission Lane. After pulling up the asphalt and scraping the area, a variety of features were discovered. These included a historic acequia (canal) that contained many rocks, probably from the south wall of the mission.

Excavation of a stone lined ditch.

Several Early Agricultural Period pithouses have been found. One excavated example was about 8 ft in diameter, contained a small hearth, and had a ring of posts. Half of a smoking pipe was found in the pithouse fill. Nearby another pithouse has a large central pit.

An Early Agricultural Period pithouse,
located just below the Mission Period surface.

Along the south side of Mission Lane we are documenting a stone-lined ditch that probably once took water from the millrace at Warner's Mill, at the base of A-Mountain, back to the Santa Cruz River. Another Early Agricultural Period pithouse lies beneath this canal.

Work is expected to continue until the end of January.

Read the excavation progress report for weeks 1 - 3

Read the excavation progress report for week 6