Barrier Canyon
Barrier Canyon Culture
Little is known about this culture that was present on the Colorado Plateau, by some calculations, more than 7,000 years ago and by other calculations perhaps as recently as 1,000 years. No one really knows. Many of these sites are hidden in obscure locations in the canyon lands while others are along what one can imagine may have been well-travelled routes in ancient times. Some of them are literally larger than life while others are intricate miniatures. Sometimes these figures are singular, sometimes they are in small groupings and sometimes there are multiple panels extending for hundreds of feet. Thematic and artistic similarities can be found between sites quite distant from each other. The figures are painted onto the rock with natural pigments, often onto panels that have obviously been well smoothed in advance. Clearly this imagery is symbolic. But of what, we cannot know.
A note about the titles. Some of these sites are well known and fairly easy to visit. Others, not so much. Sadly, vandalism is an issue which plagues historical Native American sites throughout the Southwest. Because of that, when showing images from these sites, many photographers hold back the exact locations. When I first began visiting these sacred sites, I didn’t really appreciate the extent to which vandalism was a concern and so I was a bit miffed that it was difficult to get information on how to get to some locations. I understand this better now, and have adopted the stance of others who have come before me.