In search of Chumash cave paintings near Santa Barbara
By The Horse
@TheHorse (218927)
Walnut Creek, California
June 6, 2017 10:48am CST
I made it back from Santa Barbara in one piece. It was good to see friends down there, and to take in the air, which always smells slightly of the ocean, and of the natural seepage of oil that leads to "beach tar" on the beaches there.
One of the highlights for me was going hiking solo in the Santa Ynez Mountains on my way home. I was searching for some Chumash cave paintings that I used to take friends to see. The area is grown over now, and I had to bushwhack to search for the paintings I used to go to.
I never did find them, but I did find one cave that had two paintings in it, one of the circle shown in this photo (I didn't have a camera with me), and another of a stick man.
The Chumash were fisherman/gatherers who ate nuts in the mountains and were excellent navigators of the ocean near Santa Barbara. They were probably there for hundreds (or perhaps even thousands) of years before the white man came. Now they have a Casino and a Reservation in the dry part of the Santa Ynez Valley.
I buried a guitar pick in the sandstone in the cave I visited.
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20 responses
@TheHorse (218927)
• Walnut Creek, California
6 Jun 17
I had no idea how to pay homage to the spirit ancestors of the Chumash. Playing guitar is my favorite thing in the material world. So I just left it there as a way to leave something unobtrusive and respectful. It's not based on any ritual that is known to me.
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@TheHorse (218927)
• Walnut Creek, California
6 Jun 17
There is less abuse of these paintings than most things I've seen in public places. But I have seen initials carved into some paintings, which is obscene. The best caves are sealed off and can only be visited at certain time, with supervision.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (68115)
• United States
6 Jun 17
"And all the bead we made by hand are nowadays made in Japan." (John D. Loudermilk, "Indian Reservation [Lament of the Cherokee Indian]")
How sad that the history is ignored in favor of tourist spots.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (218927)
• Walnut Creek, California
6 Jun 17
@DianneN I'd like to see that! No designer sneakers allowed. Santa Barbara is a unique town. I never got out of flip flops and into sneakers until I went hiking on the way home. Two good Thai restaurants are called Your Place and Your Choice. I think they were started by the same family.
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@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
7 Jun 17
That has got to be extremely relaxing. Glad you enjoyed yourself.
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@TheHorse (218927)
• Walnut Creek, California
7 Jun 17
@teamfreak16 Exactly! I like being "on my own." Else it seems "packaged." There are actually some cave paintings near the rim (just inside) of the Grand Canyon. I'm pretty sure I was at the South rim.
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@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
7 Jun 17
@TheHorse - The only caves I know of close to here, you have to pay for a tour. Fun, but not the same.
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@DaddyEvil (137259)
• United States
9 Jun 17
That looks like a beautiful cave painting, pony! It looks well preserved, too. I am curious if it has been documented and age typed... I'd like to know how long ago it was painted there in that cave.
I'm not sure why, but it doesn't look all that old, to me. (Did you get that feeling when you found it?)
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@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
6 Jun 17
bless yer heart, 't least ya found somethin', eh? perhaps the next trip'll reveal more. gigglin' o'er yer pick, hopefully whome'er finds such'll know what the heck 't'd be, lol.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116936)
• Anniston, Alabama
6 Jun 17
I have always wanted to go hiking but people around here always say "why?" or 'you wanna go walking?"
Once again I am the odd ball in Alabama 
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@TheHorse (218927)
• Walnut Creek, California
7 Jun 17
@andriaperry Sounds like a Mark Twain story! The rocks here in California (a lot of sandstone near the coast) lend themselves well to small caves.
@andriaperry (116936)
• Anniston, Alabama
7 Jun 17
@TheHorse Well that will take some thought, no one has ever asked me where I wanted to go hiking but I do love caves and as a kid we used to go into everyone we found.
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@AliCanary (3239)
•
6 Jun 17
What a cool expedition! I learned about the Chumash indians from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, of all places. Apparently their tribe was almost eradicated when white people brought disease.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
6 Jun 17
I loved to do things like that back when I was able. We have a lot of petroglyphs and ruins here in Arizona. Unfortunately, people don't treat them very well so many of them are restricted. Someone in the future is going to be surprised at the treasure you left!
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@Tampa_girl7 (50270)
• United States
7 Jun 17
What a shame you didn't find the cave paintings.
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@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
6 Jun 17
I have been to that casino but did not know there was cave art.
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@TheHorse (218927)
• Walnut Creek, California
6 Jun 17
Here's a good summary. It appears that they lived up and down the "South Coast," with a concentration in the Santa Barbara area. They had apparently been there for literally thousands of years before the white man came.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Chumash bands Pictographs, Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park Total population (2,000[1]–5,000[2]) Regions with significant populations United States (California) Languages English and
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