Thompson Wash Rock Art District Explained

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Thompson Wash Rock Art District
Nrhp Type:nrhp
Location:Sego, Grand County, Utah, United States
Nearest City:Thompson Springs, Utah
Map Label:Thompson Wash Rock Art District
Coordinates:39.0036°N -109.7056°W
Added:August 1, 1980
Refnum:80003909

The Thompson Wash Rock Art District, known by the Bureau of Land Management as the Sego Canyon Rock Art Interpretive Site,[1] is a rock art site in Grand County, Utah, north of the town of Thompson Springs. It contains art from three different cultures: the Fremont, the Ute, and the Barrier Canyon Style.[2]

It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since August 1, 1980.[3]

History

The Barrier Canyon Style petroglyphs are the oldest, dating to 2000 BC, while the most recent is the Ute, ranging from the 14th to 17th centuries.[2]

Panels

The Ute's art shows people with shields, horses, and buffalo. It has been vandalized. The Fremont panel describes large humans, a hunter, and bighorn sheep. Geometric designs also appear, with this panel being similar to ones found in Ninemile Canyon. Finally, the Barrier Style glyphs show small and large humanoid shapes, with the large ones having an appearance similar to a mummy. They do not have arms or legs and possess large eyes and skull-like heads, similar to the ones found in Horseshoe Canyon.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sego Canyon Rock Art Interpretive Site. May 25, 2023. Bureau of Land Management.
  2. Web site: Roadside Attraction Sego Canyon Rock Art – Thompson Roadside Attraction Sego Canyon Rock Art. May 25, 2023. Road Trip Ryan. May 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230529211410/https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/utah/moab/sego-canyon-rock-art. live.
  3. Web site: Thompson Wash Rock Art District. May 25, 2023. National Park Service. May 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230529211404/https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/80003909. live.
  4. Web site: Sego Canyon – Rock Art & Ghost Town. Climb Utah. May 25, 2023. May 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230529211406/https://climb-utah.com/Moab/sego.htm. live.