The foothills and mountains that encircle Conejo Valley offer a wonderful respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Hiking the local hills becomes especially enticing this time of year as the rains leave behind colorful wildflowers and greenery that’s truly breathtaking.

But what many don’t realize—or perhaps pay little attention to—is that the trails bring hikers into close contact not only with nature but with history.

Archaeologists have proof that this region was inhabited 13,000 years ago. Imagine what it would have been like to observe a mammoth lumbering across what’s now Moorpark Road.

Over ensuing years, civilizations came and went, leaving behind fragmented evidence of early human inhabitants. Most prevalent are artifacts of the Chumash. Dating back roughly 3,000 years, the Chumash were an indigenous people who lived along the Central Coast in small groups. They spoke a similar language, hunted, fished and traded with other tribes.

Remnants of their early existence, such as baskets, fossils and arrowheads, are displayed at local natural history museums.

What troubles local archaeologists, however, is that some hikers don’t realize that taking ancient artifacts is wrong.

First, taking any natural or man-made artifact from public land, such as a state or national forest, is illegal. It’s also illegal to take similar items from private property without permission of the landowner.

Second, removing artifacts from their natural surroundings prevents archaeologists from fully understanding the significance of the relic. Although anthropologists have a relatively clear idea of the region’s timeline as it relates to human inhabitants, there are still eras—literally thousands of years—that offer little evidence of of a world long forgotten.

For that reason, each relic is significant.

Finally—and perhaps most importantly—is that areas with significant artifacts are often burial sites.

Removing human remains from such sites is perhaps the most disrespectful form of vandalism and theft.

It’s best, experts say, to simply note the location of the artifacts in as much detail as possible and then report the site to a museum or the appropriate forestry department.

Someday 13,000 years from now, we’d expect hikers to show us the very same respect.