Jounial of Califoniia and Great Basin Anthropology Vol 8, No. 2, pp. 246-259 (1986). Cupule Petroglyphs in the Diablo Range, California E. BRECK PARKMAN, California Dept. of Parks and Recreation, Northern Region Headquarters, 3033 Cleveland Ave., Suite 110, Santa Rosa, CA 95403-2186. V^UFULE petroglyphs have been recorded throughout the world, and it is possible that they represent the oldest known form of rock art.l Such petroglyphs are especially numerous in California, where examples are found in most areas of the state (Heizer 1953a; Payen 1968; Fleshman 1975; Minor 1975; Hedges 1981; True and Baumhoff 1981). One area of the state, central Cah- fornia's Diablo Range, appears to be charac­ terized by a relatively great number of cupule petroglyph sites. A recent archaeo­ logical study conducted in the northern por­ tion of the Diablo Range resulted in the recording of additional petroglyph sites, and generated new ideas about the function of the petroglj^hs. The Diablo Range, a portion of the cen­ tral Coast Ranges, extends from Mount Diablo in the north to a point about 300 km. Fig. 1. Location of the Diablo Range. south-southeast, at which point the Temblor Range begins (Fig. 1). It varies in width been conducted in the Diablo Range, and the from about 30 to 50 km., with elevations northern area appears to have been studied from just above sea level to almost 1,600 m. more than the southern area. The northern Some of the major peaks include Mount area, the subject of this paper, extends from Diablo (1,173 m.). Mount Hamilton (1,283 Mount Diablo in the north, to just south of m.), and San Benito Mountain (1,597 m.). Pacheco Pass and San Luis Reservoir. In Like the rest of the Coast Ranges, the early historic times, this area was the terri­ Diablo Range is characterized by rocks of tory of Bay Miwok, Northern Valley Yokuts, the Franciscan Formation, and plants of the and Ohlone peoples. Chaparral, Grassland, Oak and Pine Wood­ In the Diablo Range, the Bay Miwok con­ land, and Riparian plant communities. trolled Mount Diablo, and the Northern Valley Yokuts and Ohlone controlled the ter­ ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ritory to the south of it (Bennyhoff 1977). ETHNOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND Although the boundary line separating the Except for a few recent studies, rela­ Yokuts and Ohlone may have been the crest tively little archaeological fieldwork has of the Diablo Range (Kroeber 1925:462; [246] CUPULE PETROGLYPHS IN THE DIABLO RANGE 247 Wallace 1978:462), it is possible that the line non-Indian petroglyphs, were discussed by of separation occurred closer to the banks Elsasser and Contreras (1958), and Ritter of the San Joaquin River. Working with (1982) discussed CCO-434, a native American mission records, Milliken (1982) observed pictograph site that may date from the early that the suffkes on protohistoric native historic period. Finally, two Diablo Range American women's personal names appeared sites, CCO-152 and SCL-48, have been the in patterned geographic distributions, subject of newspaper coverage (Oakland corresponding somewhat to the suggested Tribune 1933; Berkeley Gazette 1953). distribution of particular aboriginal language During the 1960s, several archaeological groups. These data suggest that Ohlone ter­ sites were excavated prior to construction of ritory extended eastward beyond the crest of San Luis Reservoir (Olsen and Payen 1969, the Diablo Range to the western edge of the 1982; Pritchard 1970, 1982; RiddeU and Olsen Central Valley. The three tribes located 1965). Three of these sites, MER-15, -38 between the crest of the range and the edge (often referred to incorrectly as MER-119), of the valley were the Tomoi, Locobo, and and -130, contained cupule boulders close to Cobo, whose people were taken to the mis­ late protohistoric (Yokuts) occupation sites. sions at Santa Clara and Santa Cruz between Because of the geographic association be­ 1800 and 1808. Women of these tribes had tween the cultural deposits of these sites names more typical of those found in the and their cupule features, it was inferred Santa Clara and Livermore valleys, thus sug­ that the two were contemporaneous (Olsen gesting that they spoke Ohlone dialects and Payen 1982:21), and that these data dis­ (Milliken 1982:3, personal communications proved Baumhoff s (1980) proposal concern­ 1981-83). At some earlier time, Hokan ing the antiquity of such features (Pritchard groups are thought to have inhabited the 1982:31). More recently, another Diablo Diablo Range, and to have been displaced Range cupule petroglyph site was excavated later by successive waves of Penutian near San Francisco Bay. This site, ALA-60, groups, the ancestors of the historic Miwok, is a large occupation site with numerous cu­ Yokuts, and Ohlone (Levy 1978:486). pule boulders, in ethnographic Ohlone terri­ Rock art research in the Diablo Range is tory. It was excavated by California State relatively nonexistent, and little that has University, Hayward, in 1979 (Miller 1982). been accomplished has been reported. A few Interpreted ages derived from obsidian rock art sites have been discussed, including hydration rind measurements range from 415 CCO-222 (Heizer and Clewlow 1973:94, Fig. to 4,097 B.P., and a single radiocarbon age 7a), SCL-48 (Heizer and Clewlow 1973:115, of 3,295 ± 500 B.P. was derived from the Fig. 288a; Elsasser 1985; Hotz 1986), and lower deposit of the site (Miller 1982), STA-33 (Heizer and Clewlow 1973:117, Fig. suggesting that the place may have been 298a, c). ceo-125 (also recorded as CCO- used by Hokan-speaking people prior to the 353), a large cupule petroglyph site with arrival of the Penutians. It was observed petroglyphs of a style termed Pecked Curvi­ that some of the bedrock milling activity at linear Nucleated (PCN), similar to those the site appeared to postdate certain of the occurring in Marin County sites (Hotz and cupule petroglyphs (Parkman 1982), thus Clewlow 1974), was discussed by Miller (1977: giving some credence to Baumhoffs (1980) 22, Fig. 4), and, more recently, by Elsasser proposal that cupule petroglyphs are an (1984). ALA-19 and ALA-51, two historic ancient Hokan element. 248 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNL^ AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY THE HENRY COE STATE PARK PETROGLYPH SITES • • • • In 1982, an archaeological survey was • conducted in Henry W. Coe State Park, a • • • 27,000-ha. wilderness in the Diablo Range (Parkman et al. 1983). During the survey, ^ •<^ eight cupule petroglyph sites were recorded (SCL-496, -499 to -503; STA-195 and -201). a ^ Since the 1982 survey. State Park staff and on volunteers recorded three additional cupule <^ petroglyph sites (SCL-594 and -595; STA- 218). These eleven cupule petroglyph sites • are described below. • SCL-496. A single Franciscan graywacke • boulder, about 10 m. from a major spring, has six cupules arranged in what may be a c d • nonrandom pattern (Fig. 2a). Fig. 2. Arrangement of cupules at four sites in Henry SCL-499. A single Franciscan graywacke W. Coe State Park; a, SCL496; b, SCL-499; boulder has three cupules arranged in what c, SCL-501, d, SCL-502. may be a nonrandom pattern (Fig. 2b). The to once have been a single rock, having boulder is near a spring, and is in a grove broken apart after the manufacture of the of black oak {Quercus kelloggii). A sand­ cupules. The cupules appear to represent a stone bowl or mortar and an oval-shaped nonrandom arrangement (Fig. 2d). sandstone mano were observed within 40 m. SCL-503. A large glaucophane schist of the cupule boulder, and small pieces of boulder with several Pecked Curvilinear soapstone and serpentine littered the surface Nucleated petroglyphs and evidence of quar­ of a nearby field. rying activity occurs near a spring. One SCL-500. A single Franciscan graywacke large vertical face of the boulder is covered boulder has three cupules and three bedrock with numerous cupule-hke depressions and mortars. Four other bedrock mortars are on angular incisions that may or may not be of two nearby boulders. A flake scatter occurs cultural origin. At least one visitor to the on the surface of the site, which is beside site has noted that these cupule and an intermittent stream. incision-like markings are natural (Robert SCL-501. Two Franciscan graywacke Mark, personal communication 1983; New­ boulders have one cupule on each (Fig. 2c). man and Mark 1986:193, Fig. 4), the result The boulders are in the vicinity of a chert of tectonic emplacement process observed quarry/workshop, and are about 10 m. from a elsewhere on blocks of metamorphic rocks in major spring. the Franciscan assemblage (Bailey et al. SCL-502. Six cupules and one bedrock 1964). A second schist boulder, much mortar are on two Franciscan graywacke smaller than the first, is just downhill, and boulders near a spring. The mortar and five has a large cupule carved into a vertical of the cupules are on one boulder, with a face. A quartz biface, and several battered single cupule on the other. The two boul­ rocks were observed on the surface about ders are adjacent to one another, and appear the site. CUPULE PETROGLYPHS IN THE DIABLO RANGE 249 SCL-594. Four Franciscan graywacke would have been important during prehistoric boulders with 17+ cupules and five bedrock times. The association of cupule petroglyphs mortars located on them are beside a per­ and water sources, especially springs, may ennial stream. A midden and possible house have been more than coincidental. pit are adjacent to the boulders. The ethnographic record of northern SCL-595. Two blue schist boulders ad­ California suggests two reasons aboriginal jacent to an intermittent stream have 40 + peoples made cupule petroglyphs.