BajaNomad
Not logged in [Login - Register]
Search the forums Search   Frequently Asked Questions FAQ   View member list Member List   Today's Posts Today's Posts   Forum Stats Stats   Board Rules Board Rules Back to: BajaNomad.com Home

BajaNomad » Baja Special Interest Discussion Forums » Baja Historic Interests & Literature » "Tablas" as a Writing System in Prehistoric Baja California Go To Bottom
Printable Version  
 Pages:  1    3
Author: Subject: "Tablas" as a Writing System in Prehistoric Baja California
elbeau
Nomad
**



Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 12-29-2015 at 08:42 AM


Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  

Perhaps you are trying to attach too much meaning to things that are just doodles, eh?


That's exactly what I thought before I read Martineau's book. I always laughed when I saw people try to assign meaning to panels that I thought were probably just a result of someone just scribbling when they were bored.

There are reasons to believe that they are not simply doodles:

* The "doodles" are commonly similar to each other within, and often between, cultural areas.

* The "doodles" are often created in very hard-to-reach spots when those spots would preserve the "doodles" better.

* The "doodles" are almost never scratched into the surface, they are pecked, which is a very slow and difficult process by comparison, but it also produces more detailed and precise results and it stands the test of time much better.

* In one instance during my Valley of Fire trip I came across some small symbols that I immediately recognized from Martineau's book. It was what Martineau called a "locator", meaning it was a small piece of writing intentionally placed along a path to guide someone to something that was not obvious nearby.

I was with my brother and my sister-in-law at the time and I told them that we would find something interesting by following the directions of the "locator" around the left side of the large rock formation we were facing, then up in a high spot that required climbing up-and-to-the-right to get to.

We followed the directions and there it was. A large, beautifully-preserved panel that was pecked into a surface that was much more suitable than the spot where the "locator" was pecked. The author had chosen the best place to write, but knowing that nobody would know it was there, they had gone down to a more accessible spot where people were likely to notice it and pecked the locator there.

By following Martineau's interpretations of locator symbols I was able to read that locator and find the panel.

If you have time and can get a copy I would recommend that you read the book and try it out a little. It's eye-opening and it's a lot of fun.
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
Cielomar
Junior Nomad
*



Posts: 71
Registered: 12-5-2010
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 12-29-2015 at 10:08 AM


For those intersted in this subject,we have a speaker and presentation herein Todos Santos on February 12 2016 @ 5:30 PM -Todos Santos Cultural Center. Seating is limited so highly recommend advanced ticket purchase. Come join us!!

"Indigenous Rock Art of The Baja Cape Region"
Presenter: Anibal Lopez, Professional Photographer and Naturalist
Indigenous tribes of southern Baja are now extinct, yet they left evidence of their presence through artifacts and rock art. Anibal Lopez has been documenting through photography and video the expansive collection of over 200 archaeological sites throughout the Cape Region of Baja. He’s the author of Reminder of a Forgotten Past. For six years, Anibal recruited the help of several rancheros having lived for generations in the Sierra mountain ranges of Laguna, Cacachiles, Trinidad and Novillo. The paintings are associated with the Guaycura and Pericue tribes, extinguished by the arrival of the Jesuits and Franciscans long ago. Vandalism, gold mining projects and looting threaten these ancient archaeological sites. Anibal aims to raise awareness with the Mexican communities living in proximity and with the foreign communities in hopes of preserving these sites forever. Explore with Anibal over 5000 years of indigenous art scattered on granite rock faces. http://www.profaunabaja.org/archeology.html

Donation of $100 pesos ($120 at the door) will go towards supporting the presenters’ missions. Seating is limited. Doors open at 5:00 and presentation will start at 5:30 sharp. Advance tickets available at El Tecolote Bookstore in Todos Santos.
View user's profile
 Pages:  1    3

 BajaNomad » Baja Special Interest Discussion Forums » Baja Historic Interests & Literature » "Tablas" as a Writing System in Prehistoric Baja California   Go To Top

 






All Content Copyright 1997- Q87 International; All Rights Reserved.
Powered by XMB; XMB Forum Software © 2001-2014 The XMB Group






"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen. The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez

 

"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt

 

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes

 

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn

 

"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law






Thank you to Baja Bound Mexico Insurance Services for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.







Emergency Baja Contacts Include:

Desert Hawks; El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262