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REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 1959 - 1960 The past year’s activities have been centered on the completion of some of our projects, research has continued on the Lake Lahontan Project, the Radiocarbon Project, the Santa Rosa Island Project, and the beginning of the Baja California Project which is related to the others* Several papers have been published by our associates, pertaining in part, to the work of the institute, and others are under way. Mono Lake Project: In the spring, the Director and Mrs. Orr made a short trip to Mono Lake to observe and collect the flies (Ephydra hyans) which are under study by Mr. Nelson Baker, and to collect water from the lake for study by Associate Dr. Oliver Schaeffer at Broolchaven National Laboratory. Santa Rosa Island Project: The 14th Santa Rosa Island Expedition of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History was largely taken up with preparations for a field conference held on the island, and sponsored in part by the Wenner-*Gren Foundation for Archeological Research, The Adventurer’s Club of Chicago sponsored the expedition. The meeting was attended by a number of distinguished scientists in various fields such as archeology, geology, paleontology, and geography. Dr. Fay-Cooper Cole acted as chairman. The visitors were shown the geological formations, Indian sites and an excavated burned dwarf mammoth, as well as human bones in situ, 37 feet below the surface in Pleistocene elephant bearing horizons. These human bones were later removed to the museum, but the mammoth bones were covered over and protected against weather for later display in situ. A radiocarbon date of 10,400 + 2000 yrs. 3P. on the human bones, make these the oldest yet dated in America. Following the conference the director joined the research ship VBLERO IV at the invitation of Associate Dr. K. O. Emery, for the purpose of making submarine soundings of the underwater topography off Santa Rosa Island, The VELERO IV belongs to the Allan Hancock Foundation, University of Southern California, and is one of the best equipped research ships afloat for the oceanographic work. The Museum and the WSI wish to express their appreciation to Dr, Emery and the Allan Hancock Foundation for making this ship a-vailable. This underwater topography carries out our studies of wave-cut platforms that are exposed on land and extends it to the continental shelf. A cave was discovered by two airmen of the 669th AC&W Squadron which .we excavated and found typical Canalino culture material, including the rather rare find of a wooden knife handle. This excavation proves important as additional accumulative evidence of the occupation of caves by the Canalinos. The DORADO Expedition to 3aja, California: As the result of a preliminary investigation carried out by the Director and Mrs. Orr while on vacation in La Paz, Baja, California, Mr. and Mrs. F. W, Conant, owners of the motor yacht DORADO, provided the means of a reconnaissance of the coast and islands of the lower portion of the Gulf of - 1
