Dear colleagues,

Just wanted to alert you to a new Spanish-colonial archaeological
discovery at El Presidio de San Francisco! We have been excavating at a
site called El Polin Springs, which is the headwaters of a valley just
east of the main presidial quadrangle. Our test excavations recently
intersected the foundation of an adobe building. This is the first
discovery of a Spanish-colonial building outside the main quadrangle at
this presidial settlement.

From historical documents, we believe that this structure was most likely
a residence used by of Marcos Briones and his extended family, including
his daughters Maria de Guadalupe, Maria de la Luz, and Juana Briones and
their husbands and children.

We are also finding some evidence that the site was concurrently occupied
by Native Californians during the Spanish-colonial/Mexican period.

For those of you who are in the area, we invite you to visit the site. We
are holding a special event this Saturday July 26 from 10:30am-4:00pm. You
can also visit anytime during our regular hours, Monday - Friday from 9am
- 4pm. The dig will continue through August 15th.

More information directions, and weekly updates on the excavation progress
can be found on our project website:

http://www.stanford.edu/group/presidio.

We would particularly appreciate your comments and suggestions either in
our website guestbook or through response to this email (on- or off-list,
depending on whether the topic is of general interest!).

All my best,
Barb Voss

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Barbara L. Voss, Assistant Professor
Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology
Building 110, Room 112-T
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305-2145
phone:  650-725-6884
fax:  650-725-0605
email:  [log in to unmask]