Of Pictographs and Petroglyphs…

Of Pictographs and Petroglyphs… [0:55m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

We first heard of the Freemont people as we hiked to Lower Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante region. The remains of their storage granaries perched at the edges of the high cliffs above us, and we were thrilled to spot their painted rock art, “pictographs,” on a distant canyon wall.

They also decorated many of the rock walls of Capitol Reef National Park to the east, but here the Freemont people carved into the cliff faces rather than painting upon them and created
“petroglyphs.” *

The Freemont culture farmed and hunted the Capitol Reef area from around 700 AD to 1250 AD. Their primitive art electrified our imaginations and created questions that can never be answered completely. Questions about ancient motivations and joys… about the death of a culture and the interpretation of its fragmented traces from centuries beyond.

*An easy way to remember the difference is to think: “paint a picture” for pictograph.

November 14, 2008 |

Comments

2 Comments so far

saltpye3, Multiple Sclerosis November 16, 2008 8:41 am
I must admit to being totally unaware of the Freemont people and I like to think I am pretty aware of most things. It was very nice filling in some of the gaps in my knowledge.
There is one thing I’m also unaware of. How do you put photographs on the anthill? Could you help me please because I have a few stories that have pictures with them.
Charlie
heatherd, Photography November 16, 2008 8:57 am
Thanks, Charlie. We learned a lot as we enjoyed the striking scenery of southern Utah!

As to the photos… All I do is a copy and paste from my website, pictures and all (Paste into the “visual” mode at the Anthill)! I generally have to delete a little “excess” code surrounding the mp3, but that’s it!