Seth Mallios
Few people in U.S. history embody ideals of the romanticized American Dream more than Nate Harrison (circa 1830-1920). His is a story with prominent and celebratory themes of overcoming staggering obstacles, forging something from nothing, and evincing gritty perseverance. Every summer from 2004-08, San Diego State University (SDSU) Department of Anthropology Professor Seth Mallios directed scientific archaeological excavations at the Nate Harrison site in San Diego County, California. Nearly 100 undergraduate and graduate students participated in the Nate Harrison Historical Archaeology Project during this time. Over five consecutive summer field seasons, the SDSU archaeological crew uncovered well over 20,000 historical artifacts, identified a singular Harrison occupation at the site (circa 1865-1920), and pinpointed the cabin’s patio as the central locus of activity. Excavation at the site and analysis in the archaeological laboratory provided significant insights into current understandings of everyday life on the multiethnic Southern California frontier during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This text includes updated 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 interim technical reports. In synthesizing ten years of historical and archaeological work on the Nate Harrison Historical Archaeology Project, this publication serves as the project’s final report for the first decade (2004-2013) of research.
