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| Landmark #306 | Santa Barbara County | Visited: Sept. 4, 2011 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A plaque marking the site of the native village of Syujtun! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Thought to have once been the Indian village of Syujtun, this site has yielded some of the most important archeological evidence found in California. In 1542 the village was recorded by Cabrillo while on his voyage of discovery, and again in 1769 by Fr. Crespí and the redoubtable Portolá. Don Luís Burton, after whom the mound was named, acquired the property in 1860.
OTHER TIDBITS: Syujtun means “where the trail splits!” The inhabitants lived here peacefully, dining on seafood, until the Spanish arrived, laid claim to their land, and pulled everybody out to work at Mission Santa Barbara (as usual)! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: 129 W Mason St at Burton Circle Santa Barbara, CA ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~95mi (153km) — 1.6hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |
This site was one of the largest Chumash villages on the coast. Portolá stated that at least 600 people lived here when he visited in 1769. The Santa Barbara Mission was founded in 1786, and the village had disappeared by the early 1830s. In 1923, archaeologists excavated the site and found over 2,500 objects, which are now at the National Museum of the American Indian. This site was declared a California Historical Landmark in 1939.