San Diego Archaeological Center

05/18/2026

Call to Action! If you love arts and culture and disagree with Mayor Todd Gloria's elimination of arts funding, then make your voice heard at the Arts & Culture Budget Crisis Press Conference & Rally. It's on Monday, May 18 at 4 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza outside The City of San Diego City Hall. RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSct1EdR3eYNO59oZCMNB0QzONWRVKcvidtQ-c9dy8j1fNR6CA/viewform

05/08/2026

✨ Join us on Saturday at 11 AM for a special talk on Kumeyaay Cosmology ✨

Don’t miss this illuminating talk with Kumeyaay author Michael Connolly Miskwish as he shares the traditions and ancient knowledge of Kumeyaay Cosmology. You’ll be invited into a world of cultural stories, stars, and the deep-rooted sky wisdom of San Diego’s original people.

This program is presented in connection with our Kumeyaay Cosmology exhibit, offering a chance to deepen your experience and hear directly from a contemporary Kumeyaay voice. Through Connolly’s book, Maay Uuyow: Kumeyaay Cosmology, you’ll explore Kumeyaay understandings of the universe’s origins and their lasting relationship to the land.

Tickets: $15 | SDAC Members & Tribal Members $5
🔗Purchase tickets:

By San Diego Archaeological Center

04/24/2026

Join us Saturday from 3 to 6 pm for an afternoon of food, lively entertainment, and a gathering of San Diego’s archaeological community at our Annual BBQ.

🌮Enjoy carne asada, pollo asada, carnitas, and jackfruit adovada tacos plus agua frescas from Frida's Taqueria and delicious dessert from cookies
🍺Sip craft beer from Battlemage Brewing Company and local wine from Rancho Guejito Vineyard at our open bar
🎶Listen to live Latin Jazz from the sophisticados
🏹Test your aim at our archery and atlatl range
🎟Enter our opportunity drawing (one opportunity drawing ticket is included with your BBQ ticket)
🤝Connect with professional archaeologists from local CRM firms

🔗Purchase Tickets: https://sandiegoarchaeology.org/event/annual-bbq-2026/

Every dollar raised supports educational programs, museum exhibits, and the preservation of cultural resources all year long. Big thanks to our premier sponsor, Wollman Wealth Designs.

04/14/2026

🍷Join us this weekend for a freelecture and wine tasting. From Vine to Vessel: The Culture and Commerce of Roman Wine explores the role of wine in Roman society, from vineyard cultivation to the amphorae that carried it across vast trade networks. Discover how viticulture shaped Roman identity, economy, and social customs while helping connect distant regions of the Mediterranean world.

As you learn about the archaeological and historical evidence behind Roman wine production and trade, you’ll also enjoy a guided tasting that draws connections between ancient practices and the wines we enjoy today.

🗓 Saturday, April 18
🕐 1 - 3 PM
📍San Diego Archaeological Center
🔗Advance registration is required: https://givebutter.com/roman-wine-lecture

04/10/2026

Just a few spots remain for our free Flintknapping 101 workshop tomorrow.

Flintknapping is the ancient technique of shaping stone into tools through the application of controlled force, a skill that has been used by humans for hundreds of thousands of years. In this class, you’ll learn the basics of flintknapping, including how to create cutting tools, points, and other useful implements by striking and shaping raw stone. Guided by an experienced instructor, you’ll gain insight into the historical and cultural significance of flint tools and understand the precision involved in the process.

🗓 Saturday, April 11, 2026
🕘 9 AM to 12 PM
📍San Diego Archaeological Center
🔗Advanced registration is required: https://givebutter.com/flintknapping-101

MAGEC City of Escondido Visit Escondido

04/09/2026

📷 Our Public Archaeology Intern Fatima helps prep gourds for the Gourd Dreamcatchers workshop on Friday at The Grand - Ritz Theater rooftop.

While the dreamcatcher originates with the Ojibwe people of the Great Lakes region, it has been adopted by many Tribal Nations and is now a widely recognized symbol within the broader Native American community. Today, some Kumeyaay have incorporated this symbol into their tradition of gourd crafting.

In this hands-on workshop led by our Tribal Outreach Coordinator Neve Luna (Kumeyaay Ipai), participants will transform natural gourds into beautiful dreamcatchers while exploring the Kumeyaay cultural knowledge, stories, and connections to the local landscape that inspire this tradition.

Registration is full for this event. Check out our other Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month workshops (all free to attend): https://sandiegoarchaeology.org/events/

City of Escondido
Visit Escondido
MAGEC

04/03/2026

🎨 Ever wondered how people created vibrant colors before art stores existed? Discover the art of making paint from the earth itself.

In this workshop, you’ll learn how natural materials were transformed into pigments used in rock art across the world. Then try it yourself by grinding and mixing pigments and painting with your own handmade colors.

🗓 Saturday, April 4 | ⏰ 11 AM – 2 PM
👥 Ages 10+
🎟 Free (registration required): https://sandiegoarchaeology.org/event/earth-pigments-workshop/

Visit Escondido City of Escondido Escondido Downtown Business Association

03/26/2026

Bring your bow or borrow one of ours at the North County Archery Club’s open range this Saturday, 10AM - 2PM. New and experienced archers are all welcome! We have excellent teachers and a separate, supervised kid’s range.

🏹Learn more: https://sandiegoarchaeology.org/north-county-archery-club/

03/03/2026

You’re invited to join us at our BBQ this April! Our biggest event of the year, the SDAC BBQ is an annual gathering of San Diego’s archaeological community with great food, lively entertainment, and games.

Test your aim at our archery and atlatl range for all ages, enter our opportunity drawing for a chance to win cool prizes, and connect with professional archaeologists from local CRM firms. Every dollar raised supports educational programs, museum exhibits, and the preservation of cultural resources all year long.

🎫 Tickets available at https://sandiegoarchaeology.org/event/annual-bbq-2026/

02/19/2026

One of our LEGO League groups made it to the International Open Championships! Let’s hear it for the “Le Go-Getters” and their Smart Artifact Box (early concept pictured), which they designed to measure light exposure, humidity, temperature, and gas exposure. We were glad to support their research and creative processes and are excited for them to take on the global competition next month in Mexico!

Congratulations to all the students who took on this challenge, at every level. Keep creating!

02/09/2026

📢 UPDATE: Event is fully booked!

Drying bundles in the breeze for our Valentine’s Day perfume making workshop next weekend 💐 We’ll be exploring the scents of the San Pasqual Valley, learning about the qualities and uses of local plants, and mixing personalized oil-based perfumes.