Baja California
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums
Archaeology & History Sites in Baja California
El Vallecito
Over 23 different sets of petroglyphs and paintings are known from the caves at El Vallecito (‘The Little Valley’), six of which are open to the public. Comprising both anthropomorphic figures and geometric designs, they represent examples of what archaeologists term the La Rumorosa style, so-called after the region in which they are found. Researchers believe that hunter-gatherer bands were probably responsible for creating these artworks, perhaps the ancestors of today’s Kumiai (Kumeyaay) people, an indigenous community who have long exploited the resources in the adjacent pine forest.
Archaeology & History Sites in Baja California Sur
Sierra de San Francisco Great Mural Rock Art
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, the Sierra de San Francisco Archaeological Zone is one of Mexico’s best locations for seeing rock art. Hundreds of caves containing paintings have survived, preserved by the dry environmental conditions and their comparative inaccessibility. Depicting a range of different humans and animals, often in a fairly realistic style, the images at this site represent part of what archaeologists call the Great Mural tradition. They were created by a hunter-gatherer community who lived in the area between 100 BC and 1300 AD.