Utah Highway 279 Rock Art Site

Utah Highway 279 Rock Art Site. . General Info , Prehistoric Native American rock art is found along the Colorado River and its tributary rivers, streams, and side canyons. The rock art is depicted in either pictograph (painted) or petroglyph (pecked, incised, chiseled) images. Anthropomorphic (human characteristic) and Zoomorphic (animal characteristic) images are commonly found., Archaeologists believe that most of the rock art was created during Archaic (6,000-1000 B.C.) and Fremont (450-1300 A.D.) cultural periods., Archaic Rock Art , Archaic rock art consists of petroglyphs and pictographs depicting anthropomorphs and zoomorphs. curvilinear lines, zigzags, wavy lines, concentric circles, and abstract symbols., Fremont Rock Art , Fremont Indian rock art often depicts trapezoidal anthro-pomorphs with horns, bighorn sheep, dogs, hunting scenes with weapons, and abstract objects., Archaic and Fremont Indian petroglyphs can sometimes be found on the same rock art panel., Native American groups ascribe religious functions to some of the rock art panels and consider them to be sacred sites. Rock art has also been interpreted as depicting concepts of migration routes, fertility, hunting magic, ceremonies, and cosmic events., These petroglyphs and pictographs are fragile and easily marred. Rock art should not be touched for any reason. The oils in human skin add to the breakdown of the rock surfaces. Please help preserve them for the enjoyment of others. Please do your part by only looking and taking photographs., Things to Look for , At the northern end of the panel: the round holes carved into the sandstone underneath the left side of the panel once held the roof poles of a structure which was excavated by archaeologists prior to road construction. The structure and rock art were easily accessible before the talus slopes were cleared away to make room for the road. Also look for the "paper doll like cut-outs" that are pictured in the middle of this sign. At the southern end of the panel: look for the large bear with hunters at its nose and over its back pictured in the top center of this sign., Preservation , How can you help preserve this rock art? Simple! This rock art has lasted on its own for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years. Most of the damage has come from vandalism in the last 100 years. We can stop this! Don't touch it and please, No Grafitti!, More Info , For more information on rock art in the area please visit the Moab Information Center at the corner of Center Street and Main Street in Moab. Thanks for visiting!, Safety , Highway 279 is very busy! Please Be Careful! Give Vehicles the Right of Way!