LOS ANGELES - Archeologists doing advance work on a train project near the San Gabriel Mission discovered thousands of artifacts from the early
1800s, it was announced Thursday.

The artifacts include coins depicting King Ferdinand VII of Spain, a religious medallion, pottery shards and Native American shell and European glass beads, according to the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority.

"The archaeological finds are an exciting link to the region's past and shed insight on the important history of the San Gabriel Mission, the city of San Gabriel and the Gabrieleno Tongva tribe,'' said ACE board Chairman and San
Gabriel Mayor David Gutierrez.

In December, archaeologists began excavating the site that was once part of the extended grounds of the San Gabriel Mission, which was the center of a large agricultural community of Native Americans and Spaniards.

The finds also included the remnants of a water channel that powered a water-wheel grist mill built in the 1820s and the foundation of an adobe building dating from the early 1800s.

The artifacts were discovered in an area near the intersection of Mission Road and Ramona Street, where workers will dig a trench later this year as part of the larger Alameda Corridor-East rail project.   

The Authority is moving the train below grade through San Gabriel and building bridges over the tracks at Ramona Street, Mission Road, Del Mar Avenue and San Gabriel Boulevard in order to avoid traffic problems when trains begin running.

The larger project includes the addition of 70 miles of mainline railroad track through the San Gabriel Valley intended to add capacity for freight trains to move cargo from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach east by train.