Beyond the Solstice

Summary

The Great Murals of Sierra de San Francisco, Baja California, Mexico, have been the subject of in-depth study (Guttierez 2013; Hyland 1997; Rubio 2013; religiVinas 2013). The latter include recordation of major sites and reconstruction of age, cultural affiliation, and hypotheses as to meaning and function.

Growing evidence supports that these sites display light patterns correlating with winter / summer solstice timings. Arguments have been presented that light manifestations exhibit similarities to central mythological subjects. The latter are documented in the regional oral traditions of the indigenous people (cf. Jones 1995; Rubio 2013; Smith 1985). Ethnographic documentation provides a basis for an interpretive reading of the murals on themes of world renewal, seasonal rebirth and cyclic continuity.

This presentation extends beyond solstice markers. There is substantial evidence that painters included sunlight, not just on the solstice, but also on other times of the year. Painters appear to employ movements of light and shadow as an important factor in the creation of the paintings. This paper explores these phenomena and their ramifications for understanding Baja California hunter-gather cosmology, symbolism, metaphor and the overall deeper meaning of the images.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Rock Art Research: A Regional Analysis   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage