CHUMASH ROCK ART

The Chumash of California painted polychrome rock art in cave alcoves—brilliant red, black, and white depictions of sunbursts, depictions of ‘alchuklash (a celestial serpent), and complex geometrics possibly tied to astronomy and datura-induced visions. This vivid rock art is an inclusive American heritage, offering a rare glimpse into the cosmology of a Pacific Coast people and now protected in places like Painted Cave State Park for future generations to marvel at.