Horseshoe Canyon, originally named Barrier Canyon, is detach segment of Canyonlands National Park not far from Goblin Valley. It is known for its amazing collection of ancient pictograph panel figures, some as tall as 7 feet, created by Archaic Indians thousands of years ago. The pictograph type in the Canyon is known as the Barrier Canyon Style (BCS), named after the original name for the canyon. BCS style pictographs have been discovered in over 200 locations, and researchers suspect the number of locations throughout Utah, Colorado and Arizona maybe as high 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