Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco

Prehistoric rock art pictographs in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco

Replica of rock paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco at the Museo Nacional de Antropología

Location| Sierra de San Francisco, Mulegé Municipality, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Coordinates| 27°39′20″N 112°54′58″W﻿ / ﻿27.6555611°N 112.91611°W﻿ / 27.6555611; -112.91611

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Official name| Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco
Type| Cultural
Criteria| i, iii
Designated| 1993 (17th session)
Reference no.| 714
Region| Latin America and the Caribbean

Location of Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco in Mexico

The Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco are prehistoric rock art pictographs found in the Sierra de San Francisco mountain range in Mulegé Municipality of the northern region of Baja California Sur state, in Mexico.[1][2][3]

## History[edit]

The pictographs are likely the artistic products of the Cochimi people in the Baja California peninsula. This group became culturally extinct in the nineteenth century but is comparatively well known through the writings of eighteenth-century Jesuit missionaries. These paintings on the roofs and walls of rock shelters in the Sierra de San Francisco were first discovered by Europeans in the eighteenth century by the Mexican Jesuit missionary José Mariano Rotea.[4][5]

According to some native beliefs recorded by the Jesuits and others, the paintings were drawn by a race of giants—a supposition that has been discarded by scientific investigators since the late nineteenth century.[6] This belief may have been suggested by the larger-than-life size of many of the human (as well as animal) figures. Some observers have speculated that the paintings had meanings relating to hunting magic, religious practices, or ancestor worship, but there is no consensus on these interpretations. Animal species including deer, wild sheep, rabbit, puma, lynx, whale, turtle, fish, and birds are depicted. There are also abstract elements of various forms. A growing body of radiocarbon dates relating to the paintings has suggested ages from as early as 5500 BCE to as late as European contact in the eighteenth century.

## Geography[edit]

The pictographs are at around 250 sites, which are located east of the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve. Access to the paintings is difficult due to the isolated location, which also has helped to minimize vandalism and destruction of the out cropping.

### Landmark[edit]

The area has one of the most important concentration of Pre-Columbian art on the Baja California Peninsula. It is of exceptional quality at both national and international standards: for the high quality, extent, variety and originality of human and animal representations, remarkable colors, and excellent state of preservation.

In 1989 the rock paintings of Sierra de San Francisco were nominated for, and in 1993 became, a World Heritage Site.

## See also[edit]

* Great Mural Rock Art, Baja California

## References[edit]

1. ^ Harry W. Crosby. 1997. The cave paintings of Baja California: discovering the great murals of an unknown people. Rev. and expanded ed. Sunbelt Publications, San Diego.
2. ^ María de la Luz Gutiérrez and Justin R. Hyland. 2002. Arqueología de la sierra de San Francisco: dos décadas de investigación del fenómeno Gran Mural. Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico City.
3. ^ Danny Palmerlee. 2007. Baja California and Los Cabos, 308 pages
4. ^ Francisco Javier Clavijero. 1789. Storia della California. 2 vols. Appresso Modesto Penzo, Venice.
5. ^ Miguel del Barco. 1973. Historia natural y crónica de la antigua California. Edited by Miguel León-Portilla. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
6. ^ Don Laylander. 2014. "The beginnings of prehistoric archaeology in Baja California, 1732-1913". Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 50(1&2):1-32.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco.

## External links[edit]

* UNESCO.org: Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco World Heritage Site
* UNESCO.org: Advisory body evaluation
* UNESCO.org: Report of the 17th Session of the Committee, with acceptance criteria
* Picasa photo set: San Francisco de la Sierra, Baja California Sur
* Bradshawfoundation.com: "Baja California - In Search of Painted Caves" — documentary film.
* Explore the Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco in the UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture

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* e

World Heritage Sites in Mexico

North West|

* Archaeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes
* El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve
* Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California1
* Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco
* Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino

North Central|

* Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
* Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro
* Historic Centre of Zacatecas
* Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
* Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines
* Protected town of San Miguel de Allende and the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco

West|

* Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila
* Revillagigedo Archipelago
* Historic Centre of Morelia
* Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara
* Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California1
* Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve1

East|

* Earliest 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl1
* Pre-Hispanic City of El Tajín
* Historic Centre of Puebla
* Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan

South West|

* Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán
* Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca
* Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque

South Central|

* Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco
* Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System
* Central University City Campus of the UNAM
* Earliest 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl1
* Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
* Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco
* Luis Barragán House and Studio
* Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve1
* Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley
* Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacán

South East|

* Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul,
* Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
* Pre-Hispanic City of Chichén Itzá
* Sian Kaʼan Biosphere Reserve
* Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal

* 1 Shared by more one region

* v
* t
* e

Pre-Columbian North America

Periods
Lithic
Archaic
Formative
Classic
Post-Classic

Archaeological
cultures|

* Adena
* Alachua
* Ancient Beringian
* Ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi)
* Baytown
* Belle Glade
* Buttermilk Creek complex
* Caborn-Welborn
* Calf Creek
* Caloosahatchee
* Clovis
* Coles Creek
* Comondú
* Deptford
* Folsom
* Fort Ancient
* Fort Walton
* Fremont
* Glacial Kame
* Glades
* Hohokam
* Hopewell
* List of Hopewell sites
* La Jolla
* Las Palmas
* Leon-Jefferson
* Maritime Archaic
* Mississippian
* List of Mississippian sites
* Mogollon
* Monongahela
* Old Cordilleran
* Oneota
* Paleo-Arctic
* Paleo-Indians
* Patayan
* Plano
* Plaquemine
* Poverty Point
* Red Ocher
* Safety Harbor culture
* Santa Rosa-Swift Creek
* St. Johns
* Steed-Kisker
* Tchefuncte
* Troyville
* Weeden Island

Archaeological
sites|

* Angel Mounds
* Anzick site
* Bandelier National Monument
* Bastian
* Benson
* Blue Spring Shelter
* The Bluff Point Stoneworks
* Brewster
* Cahokia
* Candelaria Cave
* Casa Grande
* Chaco Canyon
* Coso Rock Art District
* Crystal River Archaeological State Park
* Cuarenta Casas
* Cueva de la Olla
* Eaker
* El Fin del Mundo
* El Vallecito
* Effigy Mounds National Monument
* Etowah Indian Mounds
* Eva
* Folsom site
* Fort Ancient
* Fort Center
* Fort Juelson
* Four Mounds
* Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
* Glenwood
* Grimes Point
* Holly Bluff site
* Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
* Horr's Island
* Huápoca
* Key Marco
* Kimball Village
* Kincaid Mounds
* Kolomoki Mounds
* Lake Jackson Mounds
* L'Anse aux Meadows
* Lynch Quarry Site
* Marksville
* Marmes Rockshelter
* Meadowcroft Rockshelter
* Mesa Verde
* Moaning Cavern
* Moorehead Circle
* Morrison Mounds
* Moundville
* Mummy Cave
* Nodena site
* Ocmulgee National Monument
* Old Stone Fort
* Orwell site
* Paquime
* Parkin Park
* Pinson Mounds
* Plum Bayou Mounds
* Portsmouth Earthworks
* Poverty Point
* Pueblo Bonito
* Recapture Canyon
* Roberts Island complex
* Rock Eagle
* Rock Hawk
* Rosenstock Village Site
* Russell Cave National Monument
* Salmon Ruins
* Serpent Mound
* Sierra de San Francisco
* Spiro Mounds
* SunWatch
* Taos Pueblo
* Town Creek Indian Mound
* Turkey River Mounds
* Upward Sun River site
* Velda Mound
* West Oak Forest Earthlodge
* Wickiup Hill
* Windover
* Winterville
* Wupatki National Monument

Human
remains|

* Anzick-1
* Arlington Springs Man
* Buhl Woman
* Kennewick Man
* La Brea Woman
* Leanderthal Lady
* Melbourne Man
* Minnesota Woman
* Peñon woman
* Spirit Cave mummy
* Vero man

Miscellaneous|

* Aridoamerica
* Black drink
* Ceremonial pipe
* Chanunpa
* Chunkey
* Clovis point
* Container Revolution
* Eastern Agricultural Complex
* Eden point
* Effigy mound
* Falcon dancer
* Folsom point
* Green Corn Ceremony
* Horned Serpent
* Kiva
* Medicine wheel
* Metallurgy
* Mi'kmaq hieroglyphic writing
* Mound Builders
* N.A.G.P.R.A.
* Norse colonization of North America
* Oasisamerica
* Piasa
* Projectile point
* Southeastern Ceremonial Complex
* Stickball
* Three Sisters agriculture
* Thunderbird
* Underwater panther
* Water glyphs

Related
Genetic history
Pre-Columbian era
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