Stories in Stone

Stories in Stone. . There are many meanings the markings applied to rock walls at various places in Capitol Reef and across the Southwest. Most occurrences of petroglyphs (carvings) and pictographs (paintings) in Capitol Reef are attributed to the Hisatsinom (called the Fremont Culture by Euro-American archeologists) and were created between about 300 and 1300 C.E. Some are older still and represent people whom archeologists refer to as Desert Archaic. Petroglyphs and pictographs were created using stone tools and mineral and plant derived pigments. This distinctive style is found primarily throughout Utah and contrasts somewhat with markings in other parts of the Southwest., The modern-day tribes with the closest association to petroglyphs and pictographs at Capitol Reef are the Hopi Tribe and Pueblo of Zuni., The Hopi and Zuni say the markings confirm the presence of their ancestors in Capitol Reef. The stories present detailed information regarding geography, demography, economy, and religion. They describe activities common to daily life, maps and journeys, clan symbols, deities, animals that were hunted, calendars, and other features. Other tribes associated with Capitol Reef say the markings may be considered as libraries that speak to American Indians about past events, legends, journeys, and genealogy, among other topics., Our collective goal must be to preserve these expressions of people who thrived here for centuries, and whose descendants still live in the Southwest. These markings and stories are irreplaceable connections between people who lived at Capitol Reef in the past and our own times. We nurture these connections for future generatioris., Captions , (Photo #1) Other petroglyphs at this site were destroyed by natural rockfall in early 1952. , Left pre-1952 and Right 2013 , (Photo #2) Artwork courtesy of Joseph Venus