PALOMAR MOUNTAIN, Calif. (KGTV) - San Diego State University students had the discovery of a lifetime over Spring Break.
Twenty-five archaeology students from SDSU professor Seth Mallios' class unearthed bones, used rifle cartridges, pharmaceutical bottles, and more during an excavation at the Nate Harrison site on Palomar Mountain.
The items will be on display during an open house at the historical site on Friday, March 31, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The university said the artifacts give a new glimpse into 19th century life and offer insight into "the region's most legendary pioneers."
"Recently uncovered artifacts by the archaeological field school, including pharmaceutical bottles, butchered sheep bones, fired rifle cartridges, tobacco cans, ornate suspenders and garters, rouge tin, and others, provide intricate details into [Harrison's] daily life," SDSU said in a release.
Harrison, a former slave from Kentucky, came to California during the Gold Rush-era and moved south to San Diego. Here, he was an active rancher and beloved member of the mountain community, until his death in 1919, according to SDSU.
"[The artifacts] also shatter some of the stereotypes and myths that have come to be accepted as historical truth for this renowned settler," the university said.
