Barrier Canyon style pictographs at Sego Canyon
On my travels in the Southwest, I’ve seen quite a few petroglyphs: illustrations chipped or carved into the surface of the rock. In Sego Canyon, north of Moab, I saw some of my first pictographs: rock art painted onto the wall using natural pigments. These paintings, in the so-called Barrier Canyon Style, were created 8,000 years ago (!!) by little-known nomads called the Archaic People.
Sego Canyon, detail
Barrier Canyon Style is identified by larger than life anthropomorphic forms, usually with hollowed or missing eyes, an absence of arms and legs, and horns, antennae, earrings, and snakes. The ghostly red images are thought to represent shamanistic art associated with ritual activities of the Archaic people.
Ghosts of Sego Canyon. Note the bullet holes.
Ancient Art, Modern Target
Spiral & Umbilical, Modern G.H.
Wide View of Sego Panel. Note the purple flare at upper left.
Graffiti near the Sego Panel
I was unprepared for how spooky these images are! I worry I might meet them again in my dreams. Sego Canyon is a beautiful place. You have to wonder what these ancient people saw there to inspire such beautifully hideous artwork. So monstrous, so alien! Hmmm…
Sego Canyon & Pictographs
Travels with the Blonde Coyote 
Some of those pictographs look a little like the traditional Native American ceremonial costumes, the ones with the big masks and long robes and things. 🙂
xox
Hello, these pics. are very Other Worldly to say the least! I was particularly taken with the figure near the middle with the bubble type images and other items floating around it. (this was in the picture with the “purple flare” in the left hand corner (as I looked at the picture.) I wondered if that was from your camera catching light or? ) I have always believed there was an Other World influence here on earth!
I finished my 3+week trek, and I feel unfinished! I need to spend time in certain areas I skipped thru, Utah was most definitely unfinished! I was also in need of more time in the Rogue River area of Oregon. Thanks for these great photos.
I’ve never seen the Sego pictographs before! So otherworldly! Thanks for sharing this – I love catching up with your adventures because I become exposed to places that I may have never heard of! I’m planning to go to the Burgess Shale this summer because of you!
The Archaic People. What a great name. Like The Ancient Ones.
Love this kind of stuff-don’t know if you saw my post from 22nd of May-‘London Day Three:Neolithic Glimpses’? From an exhibition I went to see at the British Museum. Artwork and carved figures up to 40,000 years ago. Fascinating stuff.
And about your comment about if you was to see tthem again, there is nothing you can do. Witness the bullet holes . Sweet dreams.
Nice post, makes me want to go see the pictographs in person.
Would like to find this place next time we make it to Utah; just ran out of time on the trip this spring. Thanks for sharing your photos. Carol
Those look like some that I have seen about Ancient Astronauts, and spooky also, I agree!
And what was that “Purple Flare” in the top left of that picture?
Very interesting and inspiring post!!!
One day I made a pearl-barley soup and after putting grate carrots in – few minutes later there was a natural pigment on the top of boiling water 🙂 – automaticaly remember your post 🙂 Two thumbs up!
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Am i the only one who thinks pictures number 3 represents ultraman ace / ultraseven, ultraman tarou, and ultraman king ? Lol. Just wondering