Current Research on the 1969 Yreka Chinatown Archaeological Excavation and Collection

Author(s): Sarah C Heffner

Year: 2018

Summary

In 1969, construction of I-5 through Yreka in northern California, threatened to destroy historic building foundations and archaeological deposits associated with Yreka’s Chinese community.  From January to March 1969, State Parks archaeologists conducted a salvage excavation at the location of what was Yreka’s last Chinatown, occupied from 1886 through the 1940s.  This was one of the earliest excavations of a Chinese community in California. Archaeologists recorded nine features and cataloged over 2,862 artifacts. An archaeological report was prepared for the excavation, but was never finalized.  In addition, the artifact catalog is incomplete. Funding obtained from the Society for California Archaeology and California State Parks and Recreation has provided an opportunity for re-analysis and reinterpretation of the excavation and archaeological collection, with the goal of finalizing the archaeological report and the catalog.

Cite this Record

Current Research on the 1969 Yreka Chinatown Archaeological Excavation and Collection. Sarah C Heffner. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441519)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 665