Ancient Rock Art in Utah

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Here are some photos I took last summer when I was traveling in Utah and the American Southwest.  They remind me of some of the photos on page 54 of your textbook.  Prehistoric art is among the oldest art in the world.  These photos are mostly from Capitol Reef National Park. They are examples of ancient art from the Fremont people.  According to the National Park website, the Fremont people were hunters and gatherers.  Fremont and ancestral Puebloan people began to incorporate farming into their hunter and gatherer lifestyles approximately 2,000 years ago. Petroglyph panels throughout the park depict or show ancient art and stories of these people who lived in the area from approximately 600-1300 common era (CE). The article goes on to say:

Pictographs (painted on rock surfaces) and petroglyphs (carved or pecked into the rock surface) depict people, animals and other shapes and forms on rock surfaces. Anthropomorphic (human-like) figures usually have trapezoidal shaped bodies with arms, legs and fingers. The figures are often elaborately decorated with headdresses, ear bobs, necklaces, clothing items and facial expressions. A wide variety of zoomorphic (animal-like) figures include bighorn sheep, deer, dogs, birds, snakes and lizards. Abstract designs, geometric shapes and handprints are also common. Designs may have recorded religious or mythological events, migrations, hunting trips, resource locations, travel routes, celestial information and other important knowledge. 

Tags: Artifacts, Culture