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3.8 Cultural Resources
very similar to neighboring Chumash and Gabrielino culture groups. Supporting data for this
observation were recovered from archaeological sites in the OVOV Planning Area, between Newhall and
4
Piru. Tataviam village sites with known names are located at San Francisquito, Piru, Camulos, Castaic
Reservoir, Piru Creek, Elizabeth Lake, and in the Newhall environs; additional archaeological sites have
5
been recorded throughout the OVOV Planning Area, particularly along the Santa Clara River, as well as
in the Vasquez Rocks area. 6
Sites of Native American cultural significance also exist within the County’s Planning Area. Some are
associated with archaeological sites; others are not otherwise recognizable. According to a recent study in
the OVOV Planning Area, the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) identified three sites of
Native American cultural significance in proximity to the Santa Clara River including CA-LAN-361,
7
CA-LAN-366, and CA-LAN-367. Many of the place names used today, such as Castaic, Piru, Camulos
8
and Hasley (Islay), reflect a Tataviam linguistic origin, and given the long history of Native American
occupation of the OVOV Planning Area, other such sites are likely present. One site of extreme cultural
significance, Bowers Cave near Val Verde, contributed one of the most significant assemblages of Native-
9
American religious and ceremonial artifacts ever found in North America. The Cave, named after the
Ventura man who purchased the cave’s contents from teenage discoverers, is located in the crest of the
mountain at the entrance to the Chiquita Canyon Landfill.
The Historical Period
History of the Planning Area
The chronicles of the 1769 expedition from San Diego to Monterey by Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola
provided the first Euro-American documentation of the Santa Clarita Region. The expedition passed
through the San Fernando Valley to Newhall, then to the Castaic Junction area, and then down the Santa
Clara River to San Buenaventura and north to Monterey. 10 The trail blazed by Portola became known as
4 Impact Sciences, Inc. (1999).
5 CH2MHill (1996).
6 Impact Sciences, Inc. (1999).
7 CH2MHill (1996).
8 City of Santa Clarita (1999).
9 Jerry Reynolds, The Signal Newspaper, (1984).
10 Impact Sciences, Inc. (1999).
Impact Sciences, Inc. 3.8-3 One Valley One Vision Revised Draft Program EIR
0112.023 County of Los Angeles Area Plan
November 2010
