McKittrick Brea Pit

One seep, read two ways. The asphaltum an eighth of a mile west of this corner trapped Pleistocene birds and animals in the hundreds, and it is also what told prospectors where the oil was. Yokuts people worked the tar long before either reading, using it as sealant, waterproofing and trade goods, moulded into fist-sized balls that travelled well beyond the valley. The University of California began serious excavation in 1928. The work was not finished until 1949, when the Los Angeles and Kern County museums closed it out.

What the plaque says

McKittrick Brea Pit Located one-eighth mile west of here is an ancient asphaltum seepage in which hundreds of Pleistocene Age (15,000-50,000 years ago) birds, insects, and animals were trapped. The skeletal remains found in the pit include giant condors, giant long-horned bison, Harlan's ground sloth, Western camel, Dire wolf, and saber-toothed cats; just some of the extinct animals that once called Kern County home. The site was first explored in 1928 by the University of California, and again in 1933 by the Smithsonian Institute, which employed 200 workers from the Civilian Works Administration. A final excavation was completed in 1949 by the Los Angeles and Kern County museums. State Registered Historical Landmark No. 498 Kern County Historical Society In cooperation with California State Parks Dedicated 1952 Re-dedicated 2021

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• California Standard Oil Well 1 — 0.5 mi
• Buena Vista Refinery — 7.3 mi
• Midway Field Well 2-6 — 9.2 mi
• Buttonwillow Tree — 11 mi