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Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park Park Is Located in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, Has the Only Known Occurrence of Mortars Eight Miles East of Jackson

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Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park Park Is Located in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, Has the Only Known Occurrence of Mortars Eight Miles East of Jackson Our Mission Indian The mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping “ Grinding Rock to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological t was the Indians’ way diversity, protecting its most valued natural and I cultural resources, and creating opportunities State Historic Park for high-quality outdoor recreation. to pass through a country without disturbing anything; to pass and leave no trace, like a fish California State Parks supports equal access. through the water or birds Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at through the air.” (209) 296-7488. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact [email protected]. —Willa Cather, author CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service www.parks.ca.gov Indian Grinding Rock SHP Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum 14881 Pine Grove-Volcano Road Pine Grove, CA 95665 (209) 296-7488 • www.parks.ca.gov/ igr © 2002 California State Parks (Rev. 2017) I ndian Grinding Rock State Historic site, Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park Park is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills, has the only known occurrence of mortars eight miles east of Jackson. The park is intentionally decorated with petroglyphs. nestled in a small valley 2,400 feet above sea level with open meadows and large valley The marble grinding rock is fragile and very oaks that once provided Native Americans susceptible to weathering and chipping. with an ample supply of acorns. The 135- The natural elements are claiming many of acre park preserves a great outcropping the petroglyphs, so please stay off the rock of marbleized limestone with 1,185 mortar and respect this irreplaceable reminder of holes — the largest collection of bedrock indigenous Miwok culture. mortars anywhere in North America. Trails make it easy to explore the meadows and surrounding forest. The Chaw’se Regional HISTORY Indian Museum features a variety of exhibits The Miwok and an outstanding collection of Sierra The Northern Sierra Miwok, who settled in Nevada Indian artifacts. A Miwok village and this area many centuries ago, established roundhouse have been reconstructed in the their villages alongside the rivers and Bark house museum exhibit middle of the valley. streams of the Sierra Nevada — from the Cosumnes River on the north to women while men trapped, fished, and THE GRINDING ROCK AND the Mokelumne River on the south. hunted. All resources were portioned so PETROGLYPHS Other Miwok groups lived to the west they would continue to be available, and Chaw’se is the Miwok word for the as far as Mount Diablo and as far little or nothing was wasted. For example, mortar cups that formed in a stone south as Yosemite National Park. a plant called soap root was mashed and slab as the Miwok people pounded The Miwok had a detailed used not only as soap, but also to stun and acorns and other seed into meal. understanding of the resources catch fish. Its leaves were eaten fresh, and The largest chaw’se example can be available to them, passing this the bulb could be baked and eaten. The seen at the park. The main grinding knowledge down from generation dried, fibrous leaves were bundled and rock also features 363 petroglyphs — to generation. Deer were the most used as a brush. including circles, animal and human important animal resource, and all Acorns, the mainstay of the Miwok diet, tracks, and wavy lines. Some of these parts were utilized. The meat was were gathered in autumn, dried, and stored carvings are thought to be as old used for food; clothing was made in large granaries (cha’kas) made of poles as two or three thousand years; from the hide. Antlers, bones, interwoven with slender brush stems. they are now becoming difficult and hooves were used for tools Resembling large baskets, the cha’kas to see. This association of rock and instruments, and the brain were thatched with short boughs of white art and bedrock mortar pits was used to tan hide. fir or incense cedar to shed snow and rain is unique in North America. Plant foods were generally and then lined with pine needles and Except for one other small collected and processed by wormwood to repel insects and rodents. Sculpture of Miwok dancer Acorns are rich in nutrition, but because The village was the primary political throughout the park, including a farmhouse they contain a lot of tannin, they are unit in Miwok life, though alliances were and outbuildings, a garden site, orchards, bitter to the taste. To make them edible, likely to exist between villages. Village livestock pond sites, and other traces of farm the Miwok cracked and shelled them, size varied from two dozen individuals to life. By 1868 the property belonged to the and placed the acorn meat in the mortar as many as several hundred. Each village Else family, who grew barley and other grain holes (chaw’se) in the large flat limestone had a specific territory that belonged to the crops, raised cattle, and planted an orchard. outcropping in the meadow to be pounded group. Because each territory encompassed The small stream that runs through the park with a stone pestle to the texture of fine several ecological habitats, the village could is still known as Else Creek. be reasonably sure that its needs for food, William Blakely acquired the property in clothing, and shelter would be met. the 1870s. In the late 1880s, he sold about The Gold Rush 160 acres to Serafino Scapuccino. Scapuccino tended the orchard, raised cattle, and The annual cycle of native life that revolved developed a truck garden. He is said to around the little meadow was dramatically have welcomed the Miwok, who sometimes altered by James Marshall’s discovery of camped in the meadow, gathered acorns, gold at Coloma in January 1848. Miners and held ceremonial events at the old village poured into this area, forcing the Miwok out site. He also put a fence around the “great of their traditional patterns of residence rock” to protect it. and subsistence. Prospectors and After Scapuccino’s death, both hydraulic and quartz mining his family continued to operations eventually surrounded hold title to the property Reconstructed Miwok village the area. Mine tailings can still be until the 1950s. At this time seen today in the park’s ravines. meal. The Miwok took the meal to the the surviving members, Though mining was the dominant creekside and poured water through the James and Serafino, Jr., economic activity in this area meal to leach out the tannin. The prepared became concerned that during the 1850s, agricultural meal was mixed with water in a large, development pressures enterprises were also attempted. watertight cooking basket. Hot rocks were would eventually destroy Several farms and ranches were added to the acorn mush or soup and the scenic, historical, and established in the area, with one moved around with paddles until the acorn archaeological value of the of the first located in the meadow Oak tree meal was cooked. meadow and its unique area of the present-day park. In The Miwok also caught fish and hunted bedrock mortars. A friend suggested that it June 1852, one miner wrote in his diary, “They game throughout the hills. The climate was might be possible to preserve the site as are mowing their grass and barley on the flat agreeable, the water supply reliable, and a state park, an idea that found immediate and offered me $3 a day to mow.” The diarist many good village sites were available. support in the nearby town of Volcano. declined this offer and hastened to nearby Commodities that could not be found Volcano, where a miner’s wage was $6 a day. locally could often be obtained through Reminders of early-day Amador County trade with neighboring groups. ranching and farming activity are dotted ceremonies here to pray, to mourn the dead, for the annual acorn gathering ceremonies or to observe special occasions through (Big Time). Dancing, hand games, singing, music and dance. In a typical village, this and storytelling are traditional activities. semi-subterranean community center was the Spectators are welcome, but there is no largest building and tended to be between fixed schedule of events. Native American 20 and 50 feet in diameter. The Indian crafts and foods are available. Grinding Rock State Historic Park hun’ge is 60 Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum feet across — one of the largest in California. The two-story Chaw’se Regional Indian Four massive beams and center poles Museum has been designed to reflect the support the roof. A hole in the center of the architecture of the traditional roundhouse. Hun’ge — the Roundhouse roof allows smoke from the fire pit to escape Outstanding examples of the technology and also permits some observation of the and crafts of the Miwok and other Sierra A campaign to save the site was launched, night sky. Nevada Native American groups are and in 1958 the State of California acquired Miwok homes ranged from eight to fifteen exhibited in the museum. 48.5 acres of the Scapuccino property. The feet in diameter and were built of cedar The collection at Chaw’se includes site was formally dedicated as a state park in poles interwoven with grapevines or willow Northern, Central, and Southern Miwok, 1968 and was placed on the National Register and covered with cedar bark. A hole was Maidu, Konkow, Monache, Nisenan, of Historic Places in 1973.
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