Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

In contrast to the archaeological visibility of Chumash rock art on the mainland, its virtual absence on the northern Channel Islands is reflective of what little is understood about ritual behavior in island prehistory. By relying on relevant ethnohistoric and ethnographic references from the mainland, it is possible to evaluate how related activities may be manifested archaeologically on the islands. On Santa Cruz Island, portable ritual items and rock features have been identified on El Montahon and the North Ridge, the most prominent ridgelines on the northern islands Citing material correlates of ritual behavior, intentionally-made rock features are interpreted as possible shrines, which were an important aspect of winter solstice ceremonies among the mainland Chumash. Portable ritual items and possible shrines are considered in the context of sacred geography, revealing aspects of how the Chumash may have interacted with the supernatural landscape of Santa Cruz Island.