I found this rock art in Sego Canyon in Utah, near Moab. The art from the panel above is called the Barrier Canyon style. This was attributed to the nomadic Archaic people that lived in this area from 8,000 B.C until the introduction of agriculture about 2,000 years ago. Note the hollow eyes and the missing arms and legs. I wish I knew more about that significance to explain here.
This next panel is the Fremont Style. The Fremont people thrived in this area from 600 A.D. to about 1250 A.D. They are believed to be relatives of the Anasazi people of the Four Corners area. I wish I had a better photo of this panel. It doesn't show how incredibly preserved they really are.
The last of the most prominent panels here is from the Ute people. The presence of horses and people riding horses relays a lot of information. As we know, the Spanish brought horses to North America in the 16th century, so these panels date beyond that time period. (Although evidence of horses being native to the Americas has been found, but that's another debate altogether). The Utes lived freely in Utah and Colorado until about 1869 when they were forced onto reservations. The picture of this panel below was taken from this website: http://climb-utah.com/Moab/sego.htm.
I find these pictograpsh fascinating for many reasons. First off, I am amazed at how old, yet will preserved they are. Some of this art dates back to 7,000 B.C! And it's still there! Secondly, it's fascinating that in this location, there are several different panels from different time periods, ranging up to the 19th century. I find this quite interesting. Over those 9,000 or so years, what was happening within these cultures. These are different groups of people with radically different lifestyles. What were they thinking when they came upon the others' drawings. Did they know what they meant? Where they answering them? Did they have any idea how old they were? How and why did they draw them to begin with? What is a spiritual ceremony? Were they sending a message to others?
There are so many questions that run through my mind I just wish I could go back in time and watch it all happen. As I stand there in front of this art, I really can see it all happening, or at least, how I imagine it happened. I can almost hear the drums and the conversation. I can see the people moving about, grinding red sand, blood and dirt for their paint. And then I wonder, where did they go? Were they just passing through, was this were they always stayed, was this a special spot? Why aren't there more drawings? I mean, there is endless rock here, why aren't these walls covered? Why did three different peoples, over thousands of years choose this spot for a few drawings?
The questions go on and on. I'm sure there's an Anthropologist somewhere that can answer some of these questions. Nevertheless it's fascinating to think about. After visiting a site like this in person, it makes me very grateful that someone out there has realized how important it is to protect them. Of course, this is the best kind of preservation- were doing absolutely nothing offers the best protection. In that vain, the site must be protected from vandals and curious people like me that just want to touch them! Here's where education is so important- teaching the public about respect and honor. Telling the story of where these came from and who did them. There will always be unanswered questions of course, but some mystery keeps the imagination strong, at least I know mine is!
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