Newspaper Rock petroglyphs: Mystery messages from the past

What’s achromatic and achromatic and red/read each over? Petroglyphs successful the red-rock state of Utah!

In aboriginal May, aft leaving the Needles territory of Canyonlands National Park, we stopped on Highway 211 to spot Newspaper Rock, a authorities historical monument successful southeastern Utah. A large, sloping stone look bears hundreds of etched images — petroglyphs — made by American Indians dating backmost 2,000 years.

Humanoid and carnal figures arsenic good arsenic different symbols are carved successful the sandstone’s achromatic “desert varnish,” exposing the lighter stone underneath. It’s astonishing that these images person lasted truthful long, defying the elements. Can you ideate what the artists would deliberation if they knew we were puzzling implicit their enactment today?

A motion explains that the earliest petroglyphs connected Newspaper Rock were made by prehistoric peoples. More recently, “[i]n historical times, Ute and Najavo people, arsenic good arsenic European Americans[,] made their contributions.”

Those who survey petroglyphs person not travel to a statement connected what the past images mean. Whether they are “storytelling, doodling, hunting magic, clan symbols, past graffiti oregon thing else,” the motion explains, your conjecture is arsenic bully arsenic anyone’s.

The nonstop meaning whitethorn beryllium mislaid to time. But that quality impulse to permission a trace, to accidental I was here, seems clear.

I imagined the galore hands that made them and wondered what messages they were meant to convey.

Like maine with this blog, I deliberation they were trying to permission a grounds of what they’d seen and pass experiences with others they mightiness ne'er meet. Which method of connection volition past longer, I wonder?

Up next: The fantastical stone windows astatine Arches National Park. For a look backmost astatine our hiking and off-roading adventures successful the Needles astatine Canyonlands National Park, click here.

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