Finding Sacrifice Atop an Island in the Sky

Visitors to the summit of Mount Diablo have thrown objects from the peak for decades, while other items have been lost there or else discarded as litter. Located in the eastern San Francisco Bay area, Mount Diablo (3,848’) rises from a fairly featureless terrain, making it highly visible from much of central California. Visitors to the mountain’s summit appear to perceive the vast expanse as one might view a wishing well or coin fountain. Many toss coins for good luck. Tossing a coin is a means of sacrifice. It is this shared perception of a watery void that triggers the necessity of sacrifice, thus delineating an archaeological boundary between the Sacred and Profane.