Swordfish Cave is a well-known rock art location on Vandenberg Air Force Base in south-central California. By the mid-1990s it was clear that the site was deteriorating due to dust stirred up by site visitors who were also coming into close contact with the paintings on the low ceiling of the cave. The locale is named for an easily recognizable swordfish painted in black on top of a red oval.
Applied EarthWorks, Inc. was contracted to conserve the rock art and excavate the floor of the cave to provide a viewing area that would separate visitors from the art. In consultation with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash, the firm undertook excavations in 1999 and 2002. The cave walls and floor were stabilized and recovered materials were analyzed. It seems the cave was occupied about 3,550 years ago and again 660 years later. A final Native occupation occurred between A.D. 1787 and 1804.
This book is a report on the project written for a general audience based on the team’s technical findings. Well illustrated with photographs, maps, and drawings, it is an outstanding case study of rock art conservation and archaeology.
