Arlington Springs Woman Biography

Ancient Human

In 1959 Phil C. Orr discovered three ancient human bones on Santa Rosa Island, off the coast of Los Angeles, California. At first it was thought that the remains were those of a 10,000 year old male. The bones were dubbed "The Arlington Springs Man," after the location of the find. With the age of the bones in question, Orr locked them up until 1987, when new methods were used to re-date the remains. In 1993 it was announced that the bones were likely from a woman. It is currently the consensus that they are between 11,000 and 13,000 years old, giving credence to the theory that the first North Americans used watercraft.

Read about others whose bones have been dug up for one reason or another, including that youngster Kennewick Man, in our loop Exhumation Celebration.