The following is one of several figures of the pictograph panel the Great Gallery located in the Horseshoe Canyon offshoot of Canyonlands National Park. The main figure is approximately 5-6 feet tall. This and the other large anthropomorphic images at this location are associated with the Barrier Canyon Style (BCS), produced by Archaic Indians that inhabited Utah and the surrounding area for more than 7,000 years. It is believed some of the figures in the Great Gallery could be 2000 years old. At least 230 locations of Barrier Canyon art have been found to date, with researchers estimating there could be as many as 400.
BCS Project – Recording Barrier Canyon Rock Art Sites
Great Gallery: A Virtual Hike
Archaeology of Horseshoe Canyon – Canyonlands National Park (PDF)
Academic Discussion of the Dating of Barrier Canyon-Style Rock Art (PDF)
Traces of a Lost People : Who roamed the Colorado Plateau thousands of years ago? And what do their stunning paintings signify? – Smithsonian Magazine (2005)
Suggested Reading:
A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest – Alex Patterson
Ancient Peoples of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau – Steven R. Simms
Related Articles:
Top Ancient Archaeological Sites in the United States
Top Pictograph/Petroglyph Sites in Utah