I’ve visited the Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel many times over the years (including a stop there last Saturday), yet it never seems to get old. With this photo I tried to accentuate the ripples in the sandstone that lead up to the figures that are known as ‘Rain Angels’ according to the interpretative sign below them.
Here’s a closer look at the middle portion of the Unexpected Panel that Philippe and I stumbled across last month. There is a lot going on in this spectacular panel! At the bottom sits what appears to be a large rain cloud. Above that there are some figures that seem to be in a supplicant position. There is also an interesting vertical squiggly line with a circle on each side. That design is also repeated above the white rainbow. Above the supplicant figures is a row of circles, followed by a row of very small and fine lines and then a white rainbow outlined by thin ochre lines above it all. Then to top it all off, there are two larger anthropomorphic figures that seem to be floating above. This is a very detailed pictograph panel and I could just sit and stare at it all day 🙂
Two of the three figures that make up the Secret Site which I have also seen referred to as the Observer Panel. Hidden in a shallow alcove in the San Rafael Swell, these are an exceptional set of Barrier Canyon Style pictographs with the main larger anthropomorph styled in a simple rake-like motif which is believed to represent rain. The smaller stick figure helps reinforce the rain interperetation since it appears to be pouring water from its hands. There is one more anthropomorph that is off to the right and out of the frame in this photo that looks similar to the large rake-like figure, except a bit smaller.
There is a reason I am posting this photo of a large petroglyph near Moab right after posting the Quail Panel earlier. It’s because this petroglyph strongly resembles the ‘shield’ figures found in the Quail Panel over 80 miles away…only much larger! Go ahead and compare! Of course, this one is much larger and pecked instead of painted, but the resemblance is uncanny. This large shield-like figure also has a smaller anthropomorph and part of a bighorn sheep inside of it. While there are quite a few other petroglyph panels found near this one, this one stands out the most for it’s uniqueness.
Here’s a wide view that shows most of the pictographs that are part of the ‘Quail Panel’ I guess this panel was called that because the figures kind of look like quail? Whatever the reason for the name, I can tell you that this is a very cool panel of small pictographs. The figures here are approximately six inches in height. I don’t think I’ve seen a lineup of this many Fremont shield figures anywhere else before, and especially not painted in red and yellow. It’s interesting to note that each figure painted here appears to be different from all the others and that no two are exactly the same.
