Scrambling the Past to Make Way for a $55 Million Development

In Marin County, California, not too many years ago, a “treasure trove” of Coast Miwok artifacts was dug up and reburied to make way for a new multi-million dollar housing development.

Developers of the Rose Lane project had a problem: their housing site was also the location of a rich archaeological record of the land’s previous inhabitants.

According to one of the few archaeologists who briefly studied the site, the archaeological record on-site was “staggering.”

The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that there were,

“…600 human burials, tools, musical instruments, harpoon tips, spears and throwing sticks from a time long before the introduction of the bow and arrow. The bones of grizzly and black bears were also found, along with a ceremonial California condor burial.”

All of that was dug up, moved nearby, and reburied.

The developer claims they did nothing wrong because the removal and reburial of all the remnants of this rich Coast Miwok site was overseen by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

But now, you can buy a 4-bedroom home with “peace, luxury, amidst suburban charm” on Rose Lane for around $5 million.