Here’s a large Barrier Canyon Style pictograph panel that I found in the Book Cliffs this spring which unfortunately has been heavily vandalized and chalked over the years. This photo shows an overview of the main panel in the large shallow alcove that it is located in. I liked the way that the desert varnish frames this panel…..the figures almost blend in with the natural colors when viewed from a distance. The largest anthropomorphic figure appears to have a snake in place of one of it’s arms. Around the corner there are a bunch of petroglyphs carved into the sandstone, but the lighting was poor while I was there, so I will have to return another time to try and photograph those.
Nefertiti Elk
A well-executed panel of large elk or deer petroglyphs line the canyon wall along the Green River in the Book Cliffs.
Family Panel
Here’s a pretty well-known panel located in Nine Mile Canyon, among the many other rock art sites, known as the Family Panel. I guess that someone thought this lineup of figures could possibly represent a family, assuming that the family includes a scorpion, a desert bighorn sheep and some kind of shield-like figure 😉 No matter what this panel might represent, it’s still pretty cool to look at and study.
Book Cliffs Birth Panel
Here’s another new pictograph panel I managed to find in the Book Cliffs on Sunday. I had searched for this one previously, but came up empty handed on that trip. I’m not sure what style this panel is, but if I had to guess, I would say it looks Fremont. It also appears that this panel might be depicting a ‘birthing scene’ but that’s just my initial interpretation. Whatever it is, it’s a pretty nice panel and I’m glad I was able to find it this time.