Prehistoric Maze Stone

Maze Stone, prehistoric
Gabrieliño/Juaneño people; Trabuco Canyon, California
Granite; 6 1/2 tons
Bowers Museum Collection The mysterious granite Maze Stone rests at the base of the giant prickly pear cactus in the Key Courtyard of the Bowers. Much speculation has arisen regarding the maze-like petroglyphs inscribed on its surface, considerably dimmed now by weather erosion. It is postulated that the stone played a part in the ritual of an ancient people, however no definitive explanation of its use is known. Maze Rock at Trabuco Canyon, 1885
Unknown photographer
Photograph; 7 x 12 in.
6538 Puzzle or maze designs are often seen in Southern California rock art; the maze is often used as a philosophical depiction of life. Maze designs are also used in basketry in Arizona and elsewhere around the world. Similarly marked boulders have been discovered in San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial Counties, usually in prominent positions on high ridged or hills. Maze Rock and its Discoverer J.C. Joplin, 1885
Unknown photographer
Photograph; 3 1/2 x 5 3/4 in.
6554 The stone was found by J. C. Joplin in 1885 in a ridge between Bell and lower Trabuco Canyons, an area where no other signs of Indian habitation were found. The maze stone was brought to Bowers Museum in the early thirties. The several-ton stone is one of the Museum’s oldest Indian artifacts and remains an unsolved mystery. All text and images under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use.