Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park
Pictograph Site
(Kawaiisu of the Tehachapi Basin)

The rock art here is likely the work of the Kawaiisu, who like their Tubatulabal neighbors to the north, spoke a Paiute-type of language. Their pictographs are found near the town of Tehachapi in caves. and beaneath rock overhangs in Sand Canyon, which was where Kawaiisu sheltered during the winter months, due to its mild winter weather. In fact, Tomo-Kahni is said to mean "winter home" in their language. Today, Sand Canyon and the rock art here is protected by the Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park, which has very limited access to the public, but does provide occassional tours to view the rock art, and other archaeological features preserved in the surrounding area.

 

 

Pictograph Images from Tomo Kahni



The top row shows polychrome anthropomorphic figures, whereas an interesting spiral design, possibly an image of the sun drawn with charcoal-based pigment, is shown in the middle left. Bedrock mortars in the area are shown in the middle right. The image on the bottom shows a grooved stone that the Kawaiisu used to sharpen sticks, by dragging the tips back and forth through the grooves.

 

 

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