In the barrens of Southern California, near the movie production City of Los Angeles, lies a massive geological feature collectively referred to as ‘Vasquez Rocks”. It was here, in 1874 Tiburcio Vasquez, one of California’s most notorious bandits, used these rocks to elude capture by law enforcement.
Long, long before that, the area was occupied by the Tataviam Indians. One of their sacred sites at Vasquez Rocks is decorated with pictographs upon the stone walls. The area supposedly contains few red, white, and black pictographs depicting humans, spirits, animals and the sun and stars. According to scholars, the pictographs date back as far as 450 A.D. It was our mission to witness and document these features for our illustrious journals.
We had no guide nor compass, but we had a map, and a general idea, plus pistols for the snakes and cougars, if they were to give us trouble.
As always, we started with cocktails. Pictured: A.E. Sable, Cole Haley-Burton, B.W. Becker
Imagine all the deadly snakes sleeping in the pitted rocks!
Doubt Sets in.
Is it peril or is it a clue? Is it both? We’re always on edge.
I see something!
A cave!
Dissent!
Frustrated by lack of progress, Haley-Burton snaps. “Come down from there! I’m not going. Your map is a lot of malarkey! There’s nothing out here but certain and lingering death!”
We appeased Haley-Burton’s vexation with some shade, two cans of corned beef, and a cup of Kentucky bourbon. Becker was still on guard, however.
This is what we were hoping to see.
Failure
Despite our failure, we will perhaps mount a second attempt to find the ritual site and learn more about the Tataviam people.