#barriercanyon

The Buckhorn Panel PART 2, Emery County, UT. Some details of what is an extremely detailed panel. There’s enough snakes and birds and spirits to make your head spin. One point of note is that many of the figures have a large peck taken out of their centers, even on some of the smallest figures. It is unknown if this was done at the time of creation, or if someone came along and chipped each one after. You can also see repairs of vandalism (Looks like a V & N on first slide) that occurred in 1996, when a huge restoration project took place. This panel is pretty easy to find, and I highly recommend it as a prime example of Barrier Canyon rock art. . . . . . . . #utah #rockart #pictographs #barriercanyon #nativeamerican #archaeology #Utahspots #utahunique #youtah #utahisrad #Utahgram #visitutah #werutah #wowutah #naturalutah #utahillustrated (at Fatty's) https://www.instagram.com/p/CF7r1pPFQzu/?igshid=1itf7lpdxm96d

The Courthouse Wash Pictographs are a series of large pictographs I photographed which were created over a long period of time, located on a sheltered sandstone wall in Arches National Park, Utah. The series of images depict a variety of figures, many of them anthropomorphic and measuring up to 5 feet in height. The Courthouse wash site is located near the junction of Courthouse Wash with the Colorado River, extending over a 100-meter section of cliff base. The pictographs include painted figures resembling those found in Horseshoe Canyon in Canyonlands National Park, 35 miles to the west. Other figures, including those of animals, have been incised by removal of the rock's covering of desert varnish. The painted figures follow the #BarrierCanyon Style and are believed to be between 3000 and 9000 years old. The incised figures are attributed to the #Fremont culture and are dated to about 1000-1200 AD. Figures mounted on horseback were created in historical times since the 16th century introduction of horses and are attributed to Navajo or Ute artists. Ron Brown has been published in over 38 countries and has work in permanent collections of museums and galleries. His original photography and many other images are for sale as fine art framed prints and gifts that you can order from his website below. http://www.ronbrown.photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . #only.in.utah #beautifulutah #utahlife #utahunique #iloveutah #visitutah #utahadventures #utahillustrated #ronbrown.photography #ronbrownphotographer #ronbrownartist #ronbrownutah #ronbrown.photo #adventure #explore #AncientArt #CavePainting #RockArt #NativeAmerican #Petroglyph #Pictograph #Prehistoric #Utah #SanRafaelSwell #Arches #Moab #CourthouseWash (at Arches National Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGbJZXdHOvK/?igshid=ec59ywv2ossf

This #WesternArchaic #BarrierCanyon styled pictograph was waiting for me when I arrived and forced myself to inch up to it on a steep shelf of slickrock in Canyonlands. I’m not interested in just any #native #rockart; I’m deeply affected by specific types like these. The area where these ancient peoples painted this are in hard to access places and are not always easily discovered. It’s better off that way since people have vandalized some of these sites. There was an energy here that was definitive and this sacred image is still haunting me tonight in a beautiful way. You could safely bet that this is well over 5,000 to 8,000 years old. This ancient indicator of what happened long ago is what should define Utah’s identity; not as a “beehive” state. This is the true history that deserves its rightful place...NO, I will not give out the location and if you know it please keep it a secret! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz4V93FFfvD/?igshid=sb8bsl1kr74m

Definitely the two figures bottom left struggling with the spear, and then the sassy guy mid-lower right that looks like he’s playing a trombone (more likely using an atlatl). Middle figure with snakes in his body is also a favorite.

The Rochester Panel PART 3, Emery County, UT. Here are some of the creatures and unexplainable figures. There’s at least a few owl/alien hybrids, some Doctor Seuss animals, and some other weird shit going on. . . . . . . #utah #rockart #petroglyphs #nativeamerican #fremontindian #barriercanyon #archaeology #Utahspots #utahunique #youtah #utahisrad #Utahgram #visitutah #werutah #wowutah #naturalutah #utahillustrated (at Fatty's) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFgNRXxDMtp/?igshid=1agi4h2ta632a

The Rochester Panel PART 2, Emery County, UT. I love the depiction of animals in rock art, and these are some of the best. I’m especially drawn to the second slide with the weird elongated animals, almost making them look like spirits floating through space. There’s some real movement there you don’t often see in rock art. Lots of little teeth and tongues on these guys. And check out the variety on the last slide. Deer/elk with crazy antlers, snake, maybe a beaver, anteater? . . . . . . . . #rockart #petroglyphs #fremontindian #barriercanyon #nativeamerican #utah #archaeology #Utahspots #utahunique #youtah #utahisrad #Utahgram #visitutah #werutah #wowutah #naturalutah #utahillustrated (at Fatty's) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFgLZbpj1cM/?igshid=hmv263k5065c

The Rochester Panel PART 1, San Rafael Swell, UT. Where do I even begin with this one? The Rochester Panel (named after the nearby Rochester Creek) is pretty well known among rock art enthusiasts, and I don’t know how I went this long without seeing it. It’s just, uh... it’s all over the place. It’s perverse and elegant and mysterious. It’s the rock art equivalent to Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. There are multiple styles represented including both Fremont and Barrier Canyon, and symbols that indicate different time periods, from at least 2000 years ago to the time of white settlers. There’s even a section that looks like it was collapsed or removed. It’s impressive, and I spent about an hour sitting in front of it and taking it all in. . . . . . . . #utah #rockart #petroglyphs #fremontindian #barriercanyon #archaeology #nativeamerican #Utahspots #utahunique #youtah #utahisrad #Utahgram #visitutah #werutah #wowutah #naturalutah #utahillustrated (at Fatty's) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFgJeDYDxFU/?igshid=t78pg6v97a08

An amazing section of the Great Gallery depicting a herd of bighorn sheep, two figures fighting over a spear, and two ornate deities watching over everything. There’s a lot going on here, and there’s a possibility that these images aren’t all related to one composition, but I like to think of it as the above narrative. That’s the beauty of rock art having mostly unknown meaning. You can make up your own stories.