A replica of a cannon that once protected San Diego harbor from attack at Fort Guijarros.
Over the weekend the San Diego Archaeological Center in the San Pasqual Valley opened an exhibit on San Diego’s Fort Guijarros. The exhibit is entitled: Fort Guijarros: soldiers, Yankee whalers and fisherfolk
While the history of the Presidio of San Diego is well known, Fort Guijarros’s past has been reduced to an ephemeral tale. Built in 1796, Fort Guijarros was built to guard the entrance to San Diego Bay. Occupied by the Spanish, Mexican and eventually United States military, the fort played a key role in the early history of San Diego. The installation was excavated in 1981 to 1995, revealing thousands of artifacts documenting the lives of people who lived there.
Curated by Dr. Ad Muniz, this exhibit incorporates history, archaeology, historic documents and artifacts. Visitors are taken on a journey into the past. Highlighted are the contemporary military occupation of San Diego, San Diego’s Whaling Past, and Fort Guijarros.
The Center curates this important collection in partnership with the United States Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Dr. Andy Yatsko, Senior Archaeologist/Navy Region Southwest Archaeologist. The San Diego Maritime Museum has lent objects illustrating the whaling history in San Diego.
The Mission of The San Diego Archaeological Center is to preserve archaeological collections and promote their educational, scientific and cultural use to benefit a diverse public.
San Diego Archaeological Center is located at 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92027.
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