Inadequate protection puts 5,000 y/o rock art at risk

[Iceaxe]

Inadequate protection puts 5,000-year-old rock art at risk
By Andrew Gulliford
Friday, April 24, 2009

Of the thousands of Indian rock-art panels in the Southwest, none are older than Barrier Canyon pictographs found throughout the San Rafael Swell. From tiny, 5-inch animal figures to stunning 7-foot tall human shapes with no arms or legs and alien-like bug eyes, Barrier Canyon-style images are always a dark, blood-red color. Some may have been painted 8,000 years ago; many panels are at least 5,000 years old.

For a week this spring, friends and I drove four-wheel-drives and then hiked into remote locations in Emery County, Utah, to photograph these spectacular ochre-red paintings. The images of eerie, elongated figures with shortened arms and legs are hard to decipher. The anthropomorphs, or human figures, often have large eyes, no ears or noses, and no obvious gender. Snakes writhe in their hands or above their heads. Yet circling these fierce, faceless creatures are delicate menageries of exquisitely painted birds, ducks, geese, deer, and occasionally free-floating eyeballs with wings.

David Cooper from Grand Junction and Durango resident Steve Allen were our guides. Allen, who wrote one of the first guidebooks on the San Rafael Swell, said,

[psl53]

Ice,
Well written informative post, preservation of these priceless and scared art panels is worth being serious about. If you need help string that wire, count me in.
Peter

[Win]

Thanks, Ice, a great reminder of the fragility of this art. We were with a couple of archaeologists on Sunday and some of what they told us is pretty sad.

Win

[GOCK]

Rock art is cool, like modern day graffiti, however putting up fences in the middle of the outdoors and spending more money on this stuff for me, seems like a waste. Vandalism is unfortunate certainly, I wish there was a way to stop it (More serious punishment). I just don't see the sense in putting up more fences, paying for more fish cops and using more resources.

[Iceaxe]

Putting fences around these sites is its own form of vandalism to me.... Last time I visited Parowan Gap there was a big ugly chain link fence around most of the site. It was almost impossible to get a descent picture.

Parowan Gap
http://climb-utah.com/Misc/parowangap.htm

I still believe education is the key.... not a chain link fence.