Barrier Canyon Style
Encyclopedia
Barrier Canyon Style describes a distinctive style of rock art
which appears mostly in Utah
, with the largest concentration of sites in and around the San Rafael Swell and Canyonlands National Park
, but the full range extends into much of the state and western Colorado
. The term was first applied by Polly Schaafsma
(The Rock Art of Utah, 1971) to describe a handful of similar sites known at the time, including several along Barrier Creek in Horseshoe Canyon
(formerly known as Barrier Canyon). Barrier Canyon Style rock art panels are mostly pictographs (painted) but there are also several petroglyphs (pecked) in the style. These panels are believed to have been created during the archaic period (probably late archaic) and are estimated (from direct and indirect carbon 14 dates) to be somewhere in the range of 1500 to 4000 years old, possibly older -- clay figurine
s of a similar style found in Cowboy Cave (in a tributary
canyon to Horseshoe Canyon) have been dated to over 7000 years old.
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
which appears mostly in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, with the largest concentration of sites in and around the San Rafael Swell and Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts:...
, but the full range extends into much of the state and western Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The term was first applied by Polly Schaafsma
Polly Schaafsma
Polly Dix Schaafsma is an American archaeologist, best known for her publications on Native American rock art. Dr. Schaafsma is a research associate in the Laboratory of Anthropology, Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico. She and her husband, anthropologist Curtis F...
(The Rock Art of Utah, 1971) to describe a handful of similar sites known at the time, including several along Barrier Creek in Horseshoe Canyon
Horseshoe Canyon
Horseshoe Canyon may refer to:*Horseshoe Canyon in Utah, United States*Horseshoe Canyon in Alberta, Canada**Horseshoe Canyon Formation, a stratigraphical unit in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin....
(formerly known as Barrier Canyon). Barrier Canyon Style rock art panels are mostly pictographs (painted) but there are also several petroglyphs (pecked) in the style. These panels are believed to have been created during the archaic period (probably late archaic) and are estimated (from direct and indirect carbon 14 dates) to be somewhere in the range of 1500 to 4000 years old, possibly older -- clay figurine
Figurine
A figurine is a statuette that represents a human, deity or animal. Figurines may be realistic or iconic, depending on the skill and intention of the creator. The earliest were made of stone or clay...
s of a similar style found in Cowboy Cave (in a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
canyon to Horseshoe Canyon) have been dated to over 7000 years old.
Sites
- Horseshoe CanyonHorseshoe CanyonHorseshoe Canyon may refer to:*Horseshoe Canyon in Utah, United States*Horseshoe Canyon in Alberta, Canada**Horseshoe Canyon Formation, a stratigraphical unit in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin....
- Buckhorn Draw Pictograph PanelBuckhorn Draw Pictograph PanelThe Buckhorn Draw Pictograph Panel is an example of rock art, located in Buckhorn Draw in the San Rafael Swell in central Utah, approximately four miles north of the San Rafael campground and bridge....
- Courthouse Wash PictographsCourthouse Wash PictographsThe Courthouse Wash Pictographs are a series of large pictographs created over a long period of time, located on a sheltered sandstone wall in Arches National Park, Utah. The series of images depict a variety of figures, many of them anthropomorphic and measuring up to in height...
in Arches National ParkArches National ParkArches National Park is a U.S. National Park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations.... - Sego CanyonThompson Springs, UtahThompson Springs, also known as Thompson, is a small census-designated place in central Grand County, Utah, United States. The population was 39 at the 2010 census. The town is just north of the east-west highway route shared by Interstate 70, U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 50, between Crescent...