Lost Kumeyaay Pictograph relocated after 40 years. Shaman Rock Art? Not in Anza Borrego State Park, but in San Diego County's In Ko Pah Mountains.

 During the pre-handheld GPS years [before 2000], site reports for government and private industry evaluations were based on interpolations or extrapolations of reading old topographical maps and making an estimation of what the GPS might be.  It obviously was a difficult process. Working with modern technology, accurately measured GPS may place a site 100-200 meters off from the old estimates.  In a mountainous region made up of thousands of boulders and scores of rock shelters, this can take hours, days or even more.  Since it is labor and cost intensive to relocate the actual and true position, many site record archives perpetuate the old and erroneous positions.  When a new grant for research is funded, in some cases, the rock art is never relocated and "new conclusions" are reached on old information, old photographs or sketches and incorrect location.  How can their be progress in the study of rock art, when it is based on these illusionary foundation aspects that few have time to correct.  By walking the land of our Native American Predecessors and collecting accurate, basic data about the rock art sites, we have a chance to take one last, academically honest, look before the painting disappears.  When that happens?  Subsequent rock art investigations will all be speculation in absentia.   Ethnography and other empiric approaches may become meaningless as the actual endpoint of the hypothesis will be unknown.  Without the location, the context is gone, the ethnography may not be able to connect to the lost site.  If you love rock art and the wilderness why not have the experience and the euphoria of finding a beautiful "lost" piece of history.  Lots of people and organizations would love to have your help in San Diego and beyond.  Contact SDRAA and you can walk with us and others into these mysteries of the past.  Below is a small Kumeyaay grid, one of many designs and shapes.  The bright green and black markings are lichen.  The first photo is how the pictograph appears and the second photo is enhanced with D-stretch.
See you on the trail,
Don

As it appears in 2013

 



 

And with D-stretch enhancement, below