Our Team
Meet the researchers and digital specialists driving SCARI's mission forward.
Current Projects
Explore our active investigations across Southern California's diverse archaeological landscape.
Technology
Learn how we integrate AI-assisted analysis with traditional archaeological methods.
About the Institute
The Southern California Archaeological Research Institute (SCARI) is an independent research organization dedicated to the study of prehistoric and historic cultural resources across Southern California's coastal, inland, and desert environments. Our work spans shell bead exchange networks, rockshelter archaeology, Paleoindian studies, trade network analysis, and lithic technology.
SCARI combines decades of field experience with custom-built digital infrastructure—including AI-assisted literature analysis and automated data pipelines—to produce research that is both methodologically rigorous and technologically innovative.
Recent Publications
| Title | Author(s) | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olivella Bead Exchange Networks in Prehistoric Southern California: A Hub-and-Spoke Model | Aurelius, SCARI | 2026 |