The Journal of California Anthropology

This paper suggests an explanation of a circular rock artifact found in northern San Diego County and Orange County. The importance of the object lies in its resemblance to the groundpaintings (or sandpaintings) employed by the Luiseño and other southern California Indians in rites of passage, including the Chinigchinich initiation complex, an idea suggested by Paul Chace (1972). It is the author's objective to suggest correlations between this symbol and the groundpaintings as well as the function of the artifact in a socioreligious context.