Historical Treasures Unveiled at San Gabriel Railroad Excavation

Archaeologists in San Gabriel are unveiling the remnants and artifacts found in a railway excavation near the San Gabriel Mission Thursday.

The excavation, prepping for construction on the San Gabriel Trench Project, turned out to be a veritable treasure trove of cultural artifacts dating back to the early 1800s.

One of the highlights of the unveiling is the foundation of an adobe building nearly two centuries old. According to lead archaeologist John Dietler, other findings included “tens and thousands of artifacts and animal bones, pieces of pottery, gun flints, smoking pipes, gold coins, medallions.”

It is his hope that these findings can “help tell the untold story of the San Gabriel Mission, and the community here, and really the roots of Los Angeles.”

Find out more about the excavation, and the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority’s work on the San Gabriel Trench Project, click here.