Monterey Bay Archaeology Archives

The Monterey Bay Archaeology Archives is a UC Office of the President recognized non-profit repository for archaeological materials from the greater Monterey Bay region. The collections are overseen by Professor Diane Gifford-Gonzalez and lab manager Richard Baldwin. The MBAA houses cultural materials from 12 prehistoric and historic sites in Santa Cruz County and over 60 prehistoric and historic sites in northern Monterey County. In addition to the actual archaeological materials, site excavation records, reports, and other documentary materials relevant to the sites are curated in perpetuity in the Archives.

Most of the sites curated in the UCSC Archaeology Archives are from a region occupied by peoples of the Ohlone (also known as Costanoan) cultural group at the time of the first Spanish entry into the area. Sites from the Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve are from lands attributed to Esselen or Salinan peoples at the time of Spanish contact. Other, historic archaeological materials derive from UCSC's own Cowell Limeworks Historic District.

The collections are available to research scholars from other institutions whose projects contribute to local prehistory, and to undergraduate and graduate students from the University of California. An average of three scholars a year wish to come in and work with the collections or to check out specimens for laboratory analysis. Each request for access to the materials is screened by the curatorial staff for its appropriateness relative to standards of the Society of California Archaeology and Native American communities.

Undergraduates can sign up for internship placements in the MBAA, earning 2 or 5-quarter units, under the Curator and staff's supervision.