MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA—State archaeologist E. Breck Parkman has been investigating a country estate known as Rancho Olompali, the home of the band The Grateful Dead and The Chosen Family counterculture commune from the fall of 1967 until late summer 1969, when an electrical fire destroyed the mansion at the site. “I’ve used the contemporary archaeology of Olompali to address the concept of stereotype, in this case, what we generally consider to be the ‘hippie,’” he told Western Digs. The site, which was contaminated with asbestos, lead, and other toxic materials, was cleared by hazmat crews that put debris into 55-gallon drums. Parkman recovered 93 damaged vinyl records from the debris, and has been able to identify 55 of them. Only two of the records had been released during the days of the commune—the rest were an eclectic mix of music featuring “rather establishment tastes,” Parkman said. “I don’t believe most of these records were listened to during the years of the commune, but rather reflect where these people came from before arriving at Olompali. The records arrived at Olompali as literal cultural baggage,” he explained.
