At one point in time, I surveyed a quadrant down the center of the valley
east of Jacumba. I think we marked it 100-feet wide by 1,000-feet and made
certain to cross the creek and uplands to pass through as broad a range of
ecological habitats and geological landforms. I recall finding a former mining site
that I had detected in my literature search, but all that was present during
the survey was distrubed earth, broken glass, and the road systems. I
suppose anyone could have introduced your lead weight.
As recently as 20-years ago, there were a group of cannon buffs who filled
beer cans with cement and fired them out of those small cannons that were
originally used to shoot lines between ships at sea. I suppose those clowns could
have fired lead balls too. Oh yes, and I recall they fired tennis balls just
for kicks.
Jacumba is a funny place because of the many activities that have occurred
out there and yet, so little has survived. I seem to recall they were after
feldspar for industrial applications at the mine. There are soapstone mines to
the north and a mica mine to the northeast. Several railroad construction
projects went through the area and Hurricane Kathleen in 1979 blew out all the
rails and stripped away much of the surface archaeology in one huge flash
flood. Task Force 6, an early version of Homeland Security bulldozed a road
through the historic village of Jacum, where the McCain family massacred a large
family of Kumeyaay people in the 1880s. When you add-in the smugglers,
border-crossers, U.S. Border Patrol, and swarms of federal investigators along the
Border, it is truly amazing that anything archaeological survives.
Oh, and another curious site lies due north of Jacumba. It is a
concentration of about twenty rock piles in a small valley. It is more obvious from the
ridge above that it is from below. I could not determine if it was historic or
prehistoric.
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.
In a message dated 2/5/2008 8:45:10 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Ron, thank you so much of the information. I do already have your
manuscripts from the SCIC and will look up your articles. My records
search at the SCIC did not yield any information about historic battles,
however I am continuing my research at the SDSU Library for the report.
As I mentioned, the finding on ONE historic artifact is somewhat
suspicious to me and I am thinking that it may have been brought out
there recently by off roaders or target shooters that frequent the
place.
In addition to the historic piece, we also recorded 75 other sites,
isolates and roasting pits. Our client is not too happy about this. I am
wondering if we may end up expanding the Table Mountain ACEC.
Sandra.
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ron
May
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 10:38 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Need help identifying an artifact
Depending on how close the lead ball was to Jacumba, there is not a lot
out there for a gate weight to have fallen. There was a 1940s dairy to
the east along a creek. The Mexican town of Jacume lies several miles to
the south.
Rugged tall mountains ring the Jacumba Valley to the east, south, and
west. The prehistoric and historic village of Jacum is adjacent to the
post 1900 town of Jacumba, which peaked during the 1920s and had a
brief boom when American soldiers from Campo came down to soak in the
hot springs during the 1940s.
There was a hotel, spa, post office, a few bars, and a store until
Interstate 8 by-passed the town in the 1960s and then the hotel and spa
burned, a bar closed, and most of hte stores are vacant. Now it is just
a motel, a couple of stores, a community center, a school, and the gas
stations are located out by the freeway. I doubt a gate weight explains
the lead ball.
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.
In a message dated 2/4/2008 1:18:32 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Are you sure you don't have a gate weight? These were round iron
weights suspended from a chain which caused a gate to swing shut.
Sometimes the attachment is missing because it rusted away or broke off.
Lucy Wayne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sandra Pentney" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 3:38 PM
Subject: Need help identifying an artifact
>I was conducting a survey in southeastern San Diego County, near the
> Imperial County and Mexico border, near Jacumba. We found an
artifact,
> which
> I am tentatively referring to as a cannon ball because it is
perfectly
> spherical
> in weight. It is about 2 lb in weight and is made of lead. There is a
'2'
> stamped
> on the surface and another side shows a slight pock mark. There is a
bit
> of
> brown lichen growing on one area. This was the only historic artifact
> found on
> the survey, however over 70 other prehistoric sites, isolates and
features
> were also recorded during the survey.
>
> I am looking for a positive identification on the artifact, and also
any
> information on military or border activities thay may have occurred
in the
> area.
> Our records search had no mention at all of any historic battles.
>
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