The Finding of Pleistocene Material in an Asphalt Pit at Carpinteria, California

Abstract

In February, 1927, on the Lucien Higgins ranch in Carpinteria in southern Santa Barbara County, California, a steam-shovel which was taking out road material over a deposit of asphalt disclosed some bones. These were brought to the attention of Mr. Norton Stuart, curator of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Mr. Stuart at once began an investigation of the field and after several attempts to locate the source of the earlier finds, at last discovered a mass of material which extends to a depth that has not yet been measured. Here, Mr. Stuart found a great number of bones of birds, mammals and rodents, together with pine cones, leaves and other plant material.