Page 6 August 25, 2016 TORRANCE TRIBUNE TerriAnn in Torrance Backyard Treasure – The Accidental Archeologist Story and Photos by TerriAnn Ferren Did you ever play buried treasure when you were small? I did. I can remember digging a hole in my backyard with my sister, Linda and burying a pretend treasure chest. Maybe we did it because it seemed so adventurous, finding something of value in the dirt, even treasure we had buried. Archeologists have it made, I think. They get paid to dig carefully through layers of earth looking for ‘buried treasure’. A few weeks ago, I met an ‘accidental archeologist’ right here in the South Bay. Born at Daniel Freeman Hospital, Gary Johnson, always interested in history, finding objects, and discovering new things, moved with his family to the South Bay when he was about 12 years old. He collected coins and was fascinated with history and discovering new things. When Gary was in high school, he found a whale fossil in a large boulder when he was roaming around Palos Verdes. He found the fossil in a canyon nearby his parents’ house in 1978. Gary told me, “I was looking for fossils. I am always looking down and around for things. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I saw this bone sticking out of this big rock – it literally weighs a ton.” Little did Gary know he had made an important ‘find’. Then, about two years ago, there was an important whale fossil discovered on the property of Chadwick School. Thinking it couldn’t be a coincidence that he had found whalebone on the opposite side of the canyon – years before (which was still in the one-ton boulder near his parents’ house), Gary contacted the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles, who at the time, was researching the find at Chadwick. “I sent Howell Thomas, the lead paleontologist, a photograph and he said lots of fossils are found in PV and, ‘We want that. It isn’t the fossil we want - it is the imprint on top’. It has a coating of baleen – a soft tissue in the mouth – it is like skin. Fossilized skin is very rare, there are only 12 examples in the world.” Gary decided to donate the boulder to the museum, but getting a oneton boulder moved isn’t easy. A search and rescue team assisted in the transport, and on August 1st two years ago, the fossil was picked up and now resides in the research arm of the museum in downtown Los Angeles. Way to go Gary. Gary is always looking for anything unusual when walking along the coast, at a picnic, or anywhere. He notices things. He pays attention. Walking along the trails around his house provides this exceptional eagle eye, always alert, ‘accidental archeologist’ opportunity for finding some amazing things. He found a whale vertebra in his neighbors front yard planter and the neighbor was astounded. Then Gary told me honestly, “I have a feeling, and instinct – so I kept my eyes peeled. One day I was walking along and I noticed a piece of chert, like flint, a piece of stone, so I looked [around] – stayed on the trail, and looked in the bushes and over time, I would see more things and recognize them as actual tools - tools for grinding and all kinds of stuff,” said Gary. Now what? The first thing he did was to notify a leading archeologist, Carl Lipo, who at the time was connected with Long Beach State University. He told Dr. Lipo he had seen quite a lot of lithic scatter, which is basically debris - such as chips/bits of stone that litter an area where tools or other instruments were made, around the area where he walked. “I contacted Carl and he said, ‘That sounds really interesting’, and he came out [saw the area] and we registered it with the state, which protects the land, which is good, from any further pending development and it also has a number so scientists can compare it with other sites in the area,” Gary said. After connecting with Carl Lipo, Gary, being very thorough also contacted other archeologists who agreed that the site was in fact, notable, and a very early American Indian site. They told him that the site is inland, which is unusual and the items around the area are early. “Years ago, the theory was that people migrated from Siberia to North America across the Bering Straight at the end of the last ice age - called the Clovis culture. They have done a lot of DNA testing lately and the American Indian bloodline is the purest in the world. Now they think there was an area called Beringia which was grassland between Siberia and Alaska, and was very habitable and they think people lived there before they came across to North America,” said Gary. He then told me another theory, now popular is the ‘Kelp Highway Theory,’ which means people may have come down by sea, in canoes. There would have been plenty of food and the weather is mild. Gary went on to tell me that the oldest human remains (a woman) discovered in North America were off the Channel Islands. That I did not know. Gary learned all this after finding bits on the ground around his home and in the planters. “We were taught in school that the native tribes that were here were the Chumash. Well, the Chumash weren’t here. They were from Ventura up. The Tongva/Gabrielino were here, but most people don’t know that,” added Gary. What he has observed on the site is unique in Southern California. Gary said what he found are crescents and a subgroup called, eccentric crescents. Crescents are stone-shaped tools that look like a half moon. No one knows what the eccentric crescents were used for. Some think they were effigies because they look like animals, others think they were hunting tools. “No one knows for sure. They are very odd. I will show you one,” Gary said. As Gary went out to get his collection, I thought about all the dirt around my house and felt for sure there must be some ‘artifacts’ I have overlooked. All of a sudden I fully understood the excitement of finding something from another time right here where we live. This is really exciting and I see why Gary is such an enthusiast. Gary then showed me photographs of his ‘finds’ and told me the unique part of his “Gary went on to tell me that the oldest human remains (a woman) discovered in North America were off the Channel Islands. That I did not know.” discovery is that the spot has been continually inhabited. He told me Malaga Cove was excavated by the Southwest Museum during the 20s, and they found a lot there, but that site is not as old as Gary’s. Isn’t it interesting that a little further inland, people may have made their homes, gazed out toward the Pacific and down toward the future city of Los Angeles, fished for food, and made their own tools? Sounds like a big camping party to me! There is no way to definitely date the site, or know for sure if the people who left behind tools and ‘bits and bobs’ lived here consistently, or just passed through, but one thing is for sure – they had one great view of the coastline. It is sandy, which is hygienic, and a perfect spot for fishing, plus they had fresh water, and you could even catch abalone. We just don’t know. Gary takes photographs of things he finds on the surface. And what he has observed has been epic. Validated by several archeologists and scientists, Gary has made discoveries throughout his life that have provided valuable information about the people who lived in our area a long time ago. In fact, he has provided proof that this area has the oldest artifacts of any site in the Los Angeles basin. I wondered why the museums haven’t gone forward and excavated the site and Gary told me it has to do with permission to dig, and funding. He has never dug on the undisturbed site, but wonders what they would find if they did. “We have so much history in this area. There were so many people living here thousands of years ago. You are safe from the elements, the weather is great, great food source, and the villages were all over the place…we are living on one of the oldest occupied places in North America,” added Gary. Visiting with Gary Johnson perked up my treasure hunting instinct 100 percent. He reminded me gophers push things up as they dig around our lawns, in addition to the natural erosion that happens daily, so pay attention. And if you find anything, take a photograph of it and send it to one of the local museums, because some things are rare, and you never know what you could discover. Now, don’t you want to peruse your neighborhood looking for bits of stone and bone? I sure do. Maybe there is a bit of Indiana Jones in all of us. If you find anything interesting, let me know at terriannintorrance@gmail.com. Happy hunting! • PUBLIC NOTICES Order to Show Cause for Change of Name Case No. NS032461 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: La Trina Rena Phillips for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner La Trina Rena Phillips filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: La Trina Rena Phillips to Dymin Dilaurentis The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: 9/14/16, Time: 8:30AM., Dept.: 26 The address of the court is: 275 Magnolia Avenue Long Beach, CA 90802 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Torrance Tribune Date: August 3, 2016 SHERRI R. CARTER Judge of the Superior Court Torrance Tribune Pub. 8/25, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15/16 HT-25250 Order to Show Cause for Change of Name Case No. YS028933 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: Veronica Alejandra Velasquez for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Veronica Alejandra Velasquez filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Veronica Alejandra Velasquez to Veronica Alejandra Briones Velasquez The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: 10-28-16, Time: 8:30AM., Dept.: M The address of the court is: 825 Maple Avenue Torrance, CA 90503 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Torrance Tribune Date: August 22, 2016 STEVEN R. VAN SICKLEN Judge of the Superior Court Torrance Tribune Pub. 8/25, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15/16 HT-25253 Gary Johnson. (L-R) 9,000 year old bear, 3,000 year old piece, and after 500 AD quartz arrowhead.
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