The Chumash northern limits is actually Santa Barbara county, and encompasses the Channel Island, and ranges southerly to Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and inland into Santa Ana Canyon.
Big Sur is about 250 miles northerly of Santa Barbara...
If it was found in the Big Sur area, access is extremely limited due to the vertical cliffs. Leaving Cambria, there is some access at Jade Beach 120 miles north...been down to pick up Jade on the beach using ropes and a prayer...only accessible at low tide and maybe 8 feet of rocks...next access is Carmel-By-The-Sea...another 40 or so miles...
There is a museum in Santa Ana (Orange County) that has an extensive collection of Chumash artifacts...
Santa Barbara County isn't the northern boundary. Also there is
PLENTY of beach access from San Simeon all the way to Carmel if you're local, but this wasn't on the beach. It was in a field near the coast.
They're well documented in San Luis Obispo County and parts of southern Monterey county. Other parts of southern Monterey County continue to be the subject of scholarly debate.
Well, I just remember my old hippy days when my buddy George and I bought an old Chevy with a six cylinder motor(really just ran on 5), loaded up our gear(two sleeping bags, beer and something for medicinal purposes) and ran away to California. After discovering Coors tall boys(couldn't get them in San Antonio) we decided(after L.A.) that PCH 1 would lead us to heaven. We camped in those overnight parks and played on the day beaches. Yeah, some big cliffs up there, but several decent trails down them. Remember one beach where there was a dead whale and I still remember the huge kelp plants that washed ashore. But we decided to move inland too and scout around. Picked up things that I thought might be native american(hell, a texas kid collected arrowheads from birth). Long adventure short, we got lost in the Ventana Wilderness for 4 days, finally found a cross trail and loved every minute of the huge trees and dense forests. Eventually we hung out for a time near the ranger station at Julia Pfieffer(Burns?) State Park and got schooled on the peoples that lived in California first. We were told that the tribes had their own areas, but moved and traded extensively with each other. The Chumash were mentioned as one of the tribes that had been active in the area in the past and had left signs of their existence. They traded, explored, found berries, fish and shiny rocks(I guess jade) that they wanted. Don't know. So that may just be a natural rock, but I' ll bet H2OGirl that they, like you, picked things up. Indian Steve and I would have picked it up too. So enjoy your journey, collect what you will and never lose your curiosity...
Fun memories, Austin! A lot of folks who did that same thing are still hiding away up in those hills. It's a good place to get lost on purpose. Hard to find a more beautiful coastline, that's for sure. Hasn't changed *that* much since you were there...comparatively. I remember an occasional washed up whale too, whew. A couple coves up there still have whale bones laying around.
And CoinFetcher, I see things in all of my rocks Sure I find better, but not much I need to ask you kind folks about those.