Brief introduction to life in the mountains
Pottery was used for storage of water and food. Kumeyaay used large ceramic vessels (pahátc) or ollas (spanish) to store acorns, mesquite, maize, beans, squash seeds, processed agave, and other plant foods. The pots had small necks to prevent evaporation and to make them easy to seal. Virtually waterproof and pest proof, the pots were left along the trail as supply stations for families who knew where to find them. Water ollas (kuLakur) were placed along major trails in the desert and kept filled. The Kumeyaays were adept enough to make a water olla that held 50 gallons of water and was over four feet tall.

Rock painting was highly developed. It was abstract and geometric. Rock paintings are pictographs, rock carving and incising are petroglyphs. There are extensive rock paintings at Piedras Pintadas in Rancho Bernardo, and at La Rumerosa near Tecate, Mexico. They are among the finest and most expressive in the West. Painting was not a big pastime. Four colors were used for pictographs, face and body painting, decorating pottery and wooden objects. Red was obtained from local minerals which could then be accentuated by heat. Black came from pulverized manganese oxide and was used for pictographs and face painting only. White clay was a source of white paint used in body painting and pictographs. Yellow came from naturally occurring yellow ochre.

The Agave served many purposes. Strong fibers came from the Agave plant. Fiber was used for bowstrings, for some weaving, and for the sacred netting used in the boys ceremony. Agave was also used to make sandals. Rabbit hunting nets were made of agave or milkweed fiber and warm blankets were made by weaving rabbit skins with the fiber cord.

The sun shamans had special holy locations, designated 'sunwatcher' mountain, used to mark the timing and observance of solstice and equinox ceremonies. Only band leaders and shamans, and equivalent personnel from other tribes, nations, or special guests could enter these locations or go to the tops of such mountains. Usually the tribe gathered at the bottom of the mountain for special ceremonies of special healing rites. All bands had centralized brush or pole-enclosed locations including an altar or worship area that only the shamans or leaders could enter. Some holy places are Kuuchamaa, or Tecate Peak, another is Weeishpa, or Signal Mountain.

 

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