The La Brea Woman
The only prehistoric human remains uncovered in the Rancho La Brea area were those of the La Brea Woman, found in 1914. Excavators uncovered a woman's skull and partial skeleton. La Brea Woman had died about 9,000 years ago. She was believed to have been about 22-24 years old and stood about 4 feet 10 inches (1.5 meters) tall. Wear on her surviving teeth indicated a diet of stone-ground meal. Her skull was fractured which suggests that a blow to the head may have killed her. She might just be L.A.'s first known case of homicide. A broken grinding stone and the remains of a domestic dog were found nearby.