OCR Text |
Show Step back in time at ancient Indian ruins near San Rafael Swell . 7. ,4 a ttr... .... ...:.-i...sm.- i. . - . , . ........ .. -v ...-...Lit.: . -tn-nr-fnTTTi, irMWi,i1iif nu rmi Mt jtm , nn n fun i. . n.i i - ; " , : .". . .. .,J.'': 1 . . .... v w ) Z "-- V&' 'I ' 'v vwVV; . :t , vVv '''.:"' jU.W,.. :' .si.v's'i,:' jV'?- , . "ivw N f" ' ' '! ... .. .: ' . :" . : . - . :sssi . s.0'v;-f' JsjK ' " sss:.. si:s .. " - XV:V jiVv.s. it, !!..-.':,:- ....iiSS S S.' V . ." . Wl'Sf fe Si,v :l :.ii;::::s,::ll:er:5:; i. : yJ.::':'. 1 xx N- ? . f 'v.' v,-. ;'': 'ill: .V'' I' ' : f - ;i ' 'l'S.; .:::' s:i:sif';r.:5 ijSs'iii ' . - !;." HiiliCfffi '0MBmi :T'MMii-9M t.&m 'tMSS-.... $ ::ir.. :fts: :l'lf 1 if lliisssill: . ?v --vS ; l::i;f - :;5:i;:::;:; s;: is.: -:s:s g sj : '"wjis SSisjss5;?::;!?:;;:? sff ;:' is : -s ss ;;hs :..ii .i: ss !S:i'.iiiiis: .:5;:i:Si:iii:!.':.s!'.!i, Si'.i:?: !i':7"sis's:;:Si5iS!S!i:,. : ' s. i'i ;S;:s ssiSiiiS-issii: ;s s:;s:ii s-sssss ii.s;s:i; .iiss jsj: .sgsjss : iiiiisssssiS iiSfSii s; :.. i , s -iisis ssSi-ijSjS: i- "iix ' :. : ii , sm'tis-tmmm- ss. sis: -si; sss : : -s :-:;ii. i;: j:.;. iiSiSs-siKiSV ,:; x:x:f'fm-i-m,yw:: "' sii.s.s Siiisss m- s, . sss'S .s s'ss s;;.: :; si . s ss -5ks; -sssisiii:-: ssss is;.; s - :.v:!.:ii-:Sss!.asiSKni . . - -.s,- sSi.s:.s ss s: . mmmmms mimM'x . 1 ,j mm-mm m,. !v ...... 's HiillisflW , s x ; s p.iM s,ssiji: :: w.M:k:m:zmMm: k " t -ij, s :jmi s: '"svSi:!:;:psi.:, i::t:M..yy-Wm-:: ffi t!.-,tJi s.;: ., .,;f S; :,..s ' i 7-. v- . . . " . , ;:f " iiisisiiP:!liSS 'V'S'i'MiiiK ,a; m.fy . tftjjssis ' : C "-s": s; sss VA : .Siss-' . sWiss SSSSSSS-sSSSii':., ...i; .. ,4:' i'-S ........ ... .wS. liiiiiiiioiiiii: :' ::-S: .:. .i,. . ' ii; .i ii : S.i.v,. iiSi SiSSSsivSi : ii Si ;i:.ii;::S::S .. , i ' . Vi & ismMmmm&mWim1': xrmmiSiiW- wt'-Mtmt "m' i . s : . ..' : : v.v''? "'':. t: ,; H;v s:' -!! s ::is ".siS:Wi' 'isssid'i ssisii ss?:;? f s s;;"-Si s ;;: s- s tS5 .w,. . . .. . ; By DONETA GATHERUM EMERY COUNTY Traveling on the dirt roads through the San Rafael Swell is like stepping into a time machine and entering the prehistoric pre-historic period. The Swell, a kidney-shaped geologic uplift formed about 75 million mil-lion years ago, does not lend itself p modernization. The huge dome Wdt is now eroded into pinnacles, bluffs, canyons and plateaus, is too harsh for the 20th century. Its freezing cold, searing heat, sharp winds, drought and flooding belong be-long to ages past. It is too wild to domesticate and control. The San Rafael Swell is largely uninhabited, except for some cattlemen cat-tlemen and ranchers who are as determined, de-termined, independent and rugged as the land they find "beautiful." The ancient residents probably outnumbered the present-day dwellers. The Swell could lend itself it-self to occupation by wandering, hunter-gathering tribes or families or by small groups of farmers who supplemented their crops by hunting. These ancient people can be divided di-vided into three groups: the hunter-gatherers, hunter-gatherers, an unnamed basic desert culture that existed about 10,000 years ago; the Fremont Culture that lived in the state from about 400 A.D. until 1250 A.D. and the Utes, ancestors of the Indians that still live in Utah. The Fremont Culture Cul-ture were contemporaries of the Anasazi Indians that populated the Four-Corners region' including Mesa Verda. There is evidence indicating in-dicating that there was extensive contact and mixing between the Anasazi and Fremont people. The San Rafael Swell region, located lo-cated in Emery County, contains about 500 archeological sites per square mile, stated Blaine Miller, archeologist for the Bureau of Land Management and the son of Morris and Afton Miller, Layton. This makes Emery County the richest archeological region in Utah, outside of San Juan County. Searching for the rock art of ancient Utah was the object of a recent "jeep safari" sponsored by the College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Prehis-toric Museum and led by Dr. Eldon Dorrhan, Price physician and lifelong life-long resident of eastern Utah and Polly Schaafsma, leading authority on the petroglyphs and pictographs of the San Rafael Swell. Leaving Ferron, the convoy of 40 vehicles traveled 150 miles south and east of the main road to visit three outstanding Indian rock art sites. An excellent representation of art from all three of the Indian art periods; Hunter gatherer, Fremont and Ute, can be found in the San Rafael Swell area. Sadly, modern day graffiti by vandals has disfigured the ancient treasures fully protect the sites. The dominant feature at the Rochester Creek site is a large rainbow rain-bow of eight parallel lines. Above and below the rainbow are human and animal figures and designs. There are the usual snakes, goats, deer and hunters mixed with stranger-looking creatures like dragons and monsters. No one knows what the art represents. People with active ac-tive minds and creative imaginations imagina-tions can spend hours trying to write a story about the Rochester Creek art. The day-long "jeep safari" back through time over 1 ,000 years was educational, fun, and perfect because be-cause of the 100 participants who, like the ancient inhabitants of the San Rafael Swell, respected our ' world. Nothing destructive occurred. occur-red. Cameras took "only. pictures." pic-tures." Humans left "only footprints." foot-prints." It was sad to return to the main paved road, a symbol of our modern world, and observe before anything else, a "stop" sign totally disfigured by bullet holes. There is evidence indicating that there was b extensive contact and mixing between the I Anasazi and Fremont people. At Quichupah, a small rocky uplift, up-lift, the main site is a large mound of boulders about 50 yards in diameter. dia-meter. Rock art representing the three main groups mentioned earlier ear-lier are found at this site along with some figures that don't fit any particular par-ticular group. Ancient drawings are superceded with more modern ones suggesting the site may have had religious significance or it may have been an exceptionally good hunting spot. Three life size red paint hand prints can be seen at Quitchupah. The rock art of Molen Seep is not as easy to locate as that found at -Quitchupah. The Indians selected high cliffs along a stream bed for their gallery. It is necessary to walk -about a quarter mile from the "main" dirt road before you reach any art sites. The art is spread out in a down-stream fashion for about five miles, if you endure that long. Rock art is found on a rocky point high above the junction of Rochester Creek and the Muddy River. This is the largest of all Emery Em-ery County rock art sites in terms of quantity. It is also the most impressive, im-pressive, rivaling Newspaper Rock in San Juan County in number num-ber of characters and interest. Because it is the most impressive site, it is also the best-known and most susceptible to vandalism, a, concern Blaine Miller and other archeologists who have the responsibility respon-sibility of preserving artifacts on public lands, share with others who love the wildness of the desert and the delicate nature of Indian rock art. Mr. Miller noted there are two ways of looking at preserving archeological sites in remote areas. One is to tell as few people as possible possi-ble about the sites and hope no one, especially vandals, will find them. The second approach is to tell everyone about the sites and hope enough people visit the sites to discourage dis-courage vandalism and to provide enough money to police and hope- si 1 m-: '-- ..I I I - ' T p " s Travelers searching for the rock art of ancient Utah find their efforts rewarded by the over 500 archeological sites in the San Rafael Swell region. Rock art at Molen Seep is not easy to locate. The Indians selected high cliffs along a stream bed for their gallery. Visitors must walk about a quarter mile from the road to reach . any art sites. i'i wig iiS.!?. isss-s..!; .ii.i.i s .-'; ',- ',,', ""S , v -" ..... , itsh.-.- ' - sss . ' - -"-1t..".. .Mrtk - - . - nm.zrZ'i2z:l . . . 5 At Quichupah ancient drawings are superceded with more modern art suggestino may have had a religious significance or it may have been an exceptionally goo'" g spot. . The largest of all Emery County rock sites in terms of quantity is found on a rocky point high above the junction of Rochester Creek and Muddy River. mim3mmmi3iiimii mi ' "i rii in iiin ! " r 1 1 1 i i |