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Draft:Cueva Pintada (California)

Coordinates: 35°59′24″N 121°29′44″W / 35.99000°N 121.49556°W / 35.99000; -121.49556
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  • Comment: This draft has a title that either has been disambiguated, or will need disambiguation to be accepted.
    If this draft is accepted, a disambiguation page will need to be created. (Review of the existing article or articles with the principal name indicates that a disambiguation page should be crated in place of the use of hatnotes alone.)
    The disambiguation page should be Cueva Pintada (disambiguation). Robert McClenon (talk) 02:52, 10 March 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: Too many sourcing errors - one source points to a search engine not a citation, two are blogs, another has a book citation error (work=ignored), and a fourth has the wrong URL that points to one of the blogs rather than the book stated in the citation text. Netherzone (talk) 18:20, 9 March 2024 (UTC)

Cueva Pintada
Cueva Pintada is located in California
Cueva Pintada
Cueva Pintada
Location in Monterey County
LocationKing City, California
Coordinates35°59′24″N 121°29′44″W / 35.99000°N 121.49556°W / 35.99000; -121.49556
Built ()
NRHP reference No.75000445[1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 13, 1975

Cueva Pintada, locally known as La Cueva Pintada, or The Painted Cave, is a well preserved and documented prehistoric rock shelter covered with white, red, black, and ochre pictographs by Salinan people.[2] The site is protected within Fort Hunter Liggett, located 25 miles (40 km) to the southwest of King City, California U.S., but generally off-limits.[3] The site was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 13, 1975.[4]

History

Bedrock mortars used to grind acorns

The archaeological site CA-MNT-256, Cueva Pintada, has some of the most well-preserved rock paintings (pictographs) in central California. Its significance is recognized by its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1980, Archaeological Consulting, led by Gary S. Breschini and Trudy Haversat, embarked on a project focused on documenting the pictographs found La Cueva Pintada, with support from the California Office of History Preservation.[5]

In 1980, the archaeological exploration of the site resulted in the creation of over 360 drawings, tracings, and photographs capturing the pictographs. These records are currently housed at the Rock Art Archives at University of California, Los Angeles.[5]

Visits to the site are limited by the United States Army base at Fort Hunter Liggett. The entrance to the caves at an elevation of over 3,000 ft (910 m). They are protected by a chain link fence and concertina wire. The walls are covered with prehistoric white, red, black, and ochre pictographs.[3][2]

The rock overhangs and caves function as a rock shelter, standing at approximately 16 ft (4.9 m) in height and 21 ft (6.4 m) in width at the entrance. Internally, the cave expands to a maximum width of 45 ft (14 m), with a depth varying between 15 ft (4.6 m) and 20 ft (6.1 m). The pictographs show animal-like depictions as well as geometric or linear designs. These paintings are layered, appearing both beneath and atop the soot that darkens the ceiling of the cave. The paintings appear to be connected to various facets of local prehistoric life. Prior to the missionization of the indigenous people, rituals and ceremonies marked specific events, including the celebration of the winter solstice. Additionally, the transition from boyhood to manhood was accompanied by ritualistic practices.[2]

The Spaniards discovered the caves in the 1770s.[6] Researchers propose that the pictographs played a role in these and other rituals. According to legend, after converting to Christianity, the indigenous people informed the Franciscan Fathers about the cave's location, hoping that they would visit and eliminate the idols within. The pictographs, along with bedrock mortars created through the grinding of vegetable material or pigments using stones or pestles, reflect ancient practices. The white pigment may have been originated from either limestone deposits or white clay. The black pigment came from soot or charcoal, while the red pigment was from cinnabar.[2]

The Salinan Native American tribe lived along the Salinas River, encompassing present-day Monterey County and San Luis Obispo counties.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d "Historic California Posts: Fort Hunter Liggett". The California State Military Museum. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "A Visit to La Cueva Pintada". Xasáuan Today. April 25, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  4. ^ "Cueva Pintada". Office of Historic Preservation. February 13, 1975. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Trudy Haversat; Gary S. Breschini (1980). La Cueva Pintada, the Painted Cave: CA-MNT-256 (National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form). Retrieved March 8, 2024. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Raycraft, Susan (2006). San Antonio Valley. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Pub. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  7. ^ "Salinan People of California". Legends of America. Retrieved March 8, 2024.



Category:Rock shelters Category:Salinas Valley Category:National Register of Historic Places in Monterey County, California Category:Geography of Monterey County, California Category:Santa Lucia Range Category:Native American tribes in California Category:History of Monterey County, California

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