« Posts tagged vandalism

Snake Arm Alcove

posted in Rock Art

Snake Arm Alcove

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.

>> RMNP Spring Fling 2011

Silent Sentinel

posted in Rock Art

Silent Sentinel

The Silent Sentinel is a cool and interesting Fremont ‘shield’ figure located alone on a large boulder at the base of Cedar Mountain in the San Rafael Swell. Unfortunately, someone has recently decided to fire a shotgun at this figure, permanently scarring it. (The damage is not in the above photo.)

>> Buckhorn Flat & Wash Rock Art

Fading Anthropomorphs

posted in Rock Art

Fading Anthropomorphs

These two similar anthropomorphs float above many other pictographs and petroglyphs at Fish Creek Cove and are fading away with time (especially the one on the left). This is a very unusual site with some interesting rock art, but unfortunately it has been heavily vandalized over the years.

>> Fremont Indian State Park & More

Black Dragon Creature

posted in Rock Art

Black Dragon Creature

Before heading home last night, I made one last stop at the Black Dragon pictographs since it has been a while since I was last there. Thanks to recent flash-flooding, the road through the canyon was rougher than I remember it. I wasn’t sure if the pictographs would be in the sun or the shade, but when I arrived I found that the panel was bathed in some nice late evening sunlight. I also found out just how well the alcove traps heat. The temperature outside was in the upper 90’s, and this alcove must have been at least 10-20 degrees hotter! I could really feel the heat coming off of the sandstone as I climbed up to this panel….I ended up not sticking around too long because of it. I’m guessing this would be a great place to warm up in the colder winter months.

These two figures are found to the right of the well known ‘black dragon’ pictograph. There is the interesting anthropomorphic figure on the left and the large creature on the right which looks like it may possibly represent a dog, which is common in the Barrier Canyon Style, but I’m not 100% sure on that so I’ll stick to just calling it a creature. What I like about this scene is the lines in the sandstone that seem to radiate towards these two figures. However, I don’t like that most of the pictographs in this area are outlined in chalk.

>> A Hot Day in the Swell Searching for Rock Art

Escalante Vandalism

posted in Rock Art

Escalante Vandalism

While visiting a few rock art sites around Escalante this past weekend, I unfortunately encountered plenty of vandalism to some of the panels. This panel, above the Escalante River, was one of the worst. As you can see, someone decided they wanted these petroglyphs to themselves (or to sell) and tried to remove them, damaging the lower portion of the panel in the process. It’s troubling to me whenever I encounter something like this.

>> Grand Staircase – Escalante Ruins & Rock Art

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