Gilroy in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Food Processing

Cocina

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, April 17, 2022

1. Food Processing Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

The sandstone outcroppings along the eastern terrace of Uvas Creek are ideal for creating bedrock mortars, grinding slabs (metates), and cupules. Key to the aid of processing large quantities of foods were mortars (stone bowls) and pestles (cylindrical rocks used to mash or pound). Although often associated with the crushing and processing of seeds and acorns, mortars and pestles were also used to process seeds, nuts, roots, meats, fish, and seaweed throughout the year. The presence of the year-round water resources of Uvas Creek and over 75 known bedrock mortars in the park indicates that this site could have supported a permanent village. This site contains one of the larger concentrations of bedrock mortars in California.

The illustration shows Ohlone women processing food in "hopper" mortars which utilized a basket with the bedrock mortar.

La piedra arenisca cercana al arroyode las Uvas era ideal para hacer morteros, molcajetes, metates y piedras para muchacaduras de semillas granos, hierbas, frutas secas, raíces, algas, carnes y pescados. La cercanía con el río y el hallazgode setenta y cinco metates son indicadores de que en este sitio huboun asentamiento permanente. Es en este donde se ha encontrado una de las mayores concentraciones de morteros de California. La ilustracíon muestra a mujeresdel grupo ohlone en el momento de moler alimentos.

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This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Parks & Recreational Areas • Women.

Location. 37° 1.837′ N, 121° 39.433′ W. Marker is in Gilroy, California, in Santa Clara County. It can be reached from Watsonville Road north of Burchell Road, on the left when traveling north. The marker is mounted to a metal stand on the trail below with parking lot of Chictactac-Adams Heritage County Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10001 Watsonville Road, Gilroy CA 95020, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, April 17, 2022

2. Food Processing Marker

Marker in the foreground and grinding slabs in the background.

marker: A journey of a Lifetime (within shouting distance of this marker); School Days (within shouting distance of this marker); Uvas Creek (within shouting distance of this marker); Ohlone Buildings (within shouting distance of this marker); Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Arrival of the Spanish (within shouting distance of this marker); Rock Art (within shouting distance of this marker); Ranchos and Growth (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gilroy.

Bedrock mortar image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, April 17, 2022

3. Bedrock mortar

Mortars and grinding slabs image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, April 17, 2022

4. Mortars and grinding slabs

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, April 17, 2022

5. Mortars

Credits. This page was last revised on May 16, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 12, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 308 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 12, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.