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The Bay

Bay Curious: The History of the Bay’s 425 Shellmounds

Ericka Cruz GuevarraOlivia Allen-PriceLaura Klivans
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A shellmound in Mill Valley, as photographed by archaeologist Nels Nelson in 1909. From Nelson's report "Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region."

Before the Emeryville shoreline was a shopping center and commercial area, it was the site of a sacred burial site belonging to the Ohlone people, natives of the San Francisco Bay Area.

There were once more than 425 of these shellmounds across the Bay Area. And today, native people are still working to protect what’s left of them. The Bay Curious podcast explores the history of these shellmounds, and what happened to them.

Episode Transcript

This episode of Bay Curious first aired on Nov. 8, 2018.  


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