Volvon Village on Mallory Creek 715 bedrock mortars and countless housepits spread over a half mile. Cupule rock. This village, located in the highlands of the Black Hills, must have been one of the largest settlements in the prehistoric Bay Area, yet it was, apparently, unknown to early archaeologists and historians. It does not appear […]
Canyon Trail Park Petroglyph Boulder20+ bedrock mortars and 175+ cupules on one chlorite blueschist boulder.Elevation 141 ft.CA-CCO-152This rock is in Canyon Trail Park on a branch of Baxter Creek. Baxter Creek flows into the Bay near Stege, a long-vanished neighborhood on the old shoreline of San Francisco Bay, northwest of Albany hill. Some of the […]
Mira Vista Park10 bedrock mortars and 60+ cupules on a chlorite blueschist boulder near Baxter Creek.Elevation 116 ft.See Canyon Trail Petroglyphs for more details about cupule petroglyphs. Also see Cupule Petroglyphs in the Diablo Range by E. Breck Parkman in the Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 254-55 (1986). […]
Chinese Tree of Heaven18 bedrock mortars (including 5 bowl mortars), 3 metates, 2 cupules, incised rocks, rock rectangles, rock walls, and rock-lined pathwaysThe Chinese Tree of Heaven tree (Ailanthus altissima) was introduced to California by the Chinese during the Gold Rush. The presence of this tree along with the dry-laid masonry skill apparent in a […]
Monte Bello Open Space–headwaters of Stevens Creek12 bedrock mortars and 34+ cupules, 14 on one rock and 20 on anotherElevation 2240 ft.Looking up at the site, another one of Joel’s South Bay discoveries.There are 14 cupules on the rock in the center of the photo. The proximity of cupule rocks to water sources is well-documented. […]
Diablo Grande Cave1 bedrock mortar and a 28 cupule slab8 bedrock mortars in a cave with (obscure) hematite pictographsElevation 1179 ft.Jim photographs the cupule rock. The cupules are hard to make out, so look carefully. That’s the cave (or rock shelter) with bedrock mortars in the background.
Pena-Vaca Adobe11 bedrock mortars and at least 9 portable mortarsElevation 179 ft.The original adobe dates from 1842.The low wall here partially encloses a burial ground.A diverse set of mortars. Lots of cupules/anvils too.A pretty setting near the Indian Council Grounds.
Don Edwards Preserve4 bedrock mortars, possible cupulesElevation 103 ft.Another one of Jeff’s amazing finds.Nearly all the bedrock mortars we’ve encountered in the Bay Area occur on sandstone. These are the only ones we’ve seen in metamorphic chert.A closer look. Note the paired, shallow mortars. Such arrangements are rare. The only others we’ve seen are on […]
Pine Canyon #12 bedrock mortars, 2 cupules, and an incised rock at the Intersection of Castle Rock and Stage Road Trails.Mortar and pestle.
Elephant RockOne bedrock mortar, cupules, and carved graffiti.Elephant Rock may have been a “prayer” site. See Cupule Petroglyphs in the Diablo Range by E. Breck Parkman in the Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 254-55 (1986).Home of the Elephant Rock.
