Newspaper Rock – Desert Southwest – Utah
Newspaper Rock, located in the desert of southeastern Utah, just outside the boundary of Canyonlands National Park, is likely the most photographed and well known petroglyph in the United States. Its art represents numerous cultures that have added their mark to the rock face over the centuries, including Archaic Indians, Anasazi, Fremont, Navajo, and Ute. In this particular photograph you can see at least one petroglyph, the hunter on horse back firing an arrow that is either Ute or Navajo in origin. We know this because horses were extinct in the New World, until they were reintroduced by the Spanish and other European settlers starting in the 16th century. Scientists use other techniques, including the style of different petroglyphs to determine which culture left behind particular art work and from that their likely age.
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