Who were the Fremont people? Their origin is still the subject of debate. The most widely accepted theory suggests that the Fremont Culture evolved from an earlier, more primitive "Desert Archaic" culture of hunters and gatherers whose artifacts are widely distributed through the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau area. Gradually, a "new" culture evolved as these people learned to use agriculture to supplement their hunting and gathering economy. Perhaps the impetus for these changes came from contact with the pueblo-building Anasazi, living to the south.

Early in the century, the prehistoric inhabitants of this area were thought to be an outlying, "fringe-group" of that Anasazi civilization. In 1928-29, archeologist Noel Morss formulated the theory that the people here belonged to a distinct and different culture. He named these people the "Fremont Culture" since his major research had been done along the Fremont River. Today, most archeologists accept Morss' conceptualization.

Among the disinctly Fremont traits noted by Morss were: use of leather moccasins rather than the woven fiber sandals used by the Anasazi; construction of pit-house dwellings instead of large masonry buildings; the manufacture of small unfired clay "figurines", the purpose of which still puzzles archeologists; and the absence of domesticated animals (the Anasazi kept dogs and turkeys).

One compelling question is: what happened to the Fremont people? They seem to have left the Fremont River area by 1300 A.D., though there are indications that Fremont Culture inhabitants of the Sevier Valley west of here lingered a bit longer. Many theories have been developed to explain this "disappearance"; prolonged drought may have keyed a general upheavel of 13th century populations. Evidence does not suggest that the Fremont were the ancestors of the Ute or Paiute Indians who later roamed this area and does not like them with any tribe or group of contemporary American Indians.

Petroglyph Pullout Walk

After a leisurely tour of the museum displays in the Visitor Center, take a walk along the "Petroglyph Pullout" on Utah Hwy 24, just one mile east of the Visitor Center. Petroglyphs and pictographs, the so-called "rock art" of prehistoric peoples, have long held a special facination for young and old alike. From the parking area, a short path leads to the base of the Wingate Sandstone cliff. Visible from this viewpoint are some of the most interesting petroglyph panels at Capitol Reef (see photo above).

Please Do Not attempt to climb the talus slope in front of you. Use a telephoto lens for "close-up" photographs. Rock art panels are very fragile and many have already been seriously damaged through vandalism, carelessness, or ignorance. Do not touch any petroglyphs or pictographs. Each touch removes a few more sand grains from the rock surface. We need your cooperation to protect and preserve these treasures of the past.

The pathway that lead to the east parallels the base of the cliff for about 500 feet and provides an opportunity for easy viewing of additional examples of Fremont rock art.

This short, fairly level walk, though the path is uneven and narrow in places and may become slippery when wet. There are shady places along the way so the walk is not unpleasant even at midday. Many of the petroglyphs visible from the path are badly weathered and difficult to spot, especially in certain lighting. There is no "best" time of day or year for viewing - lighting conditions change from hour to hour and sometimes from minute to minute, depending on the play of sunshine and shadow on the cliff face. Take your time, walk a short distance, stop and explore the sheer Wingate Sandstone cliff with your eyes. Then, go a bit further and repeat the process. The excitement and thrill of "discovering" a petroglyph panel for yourself is a major part of the enjoyment of "petroglyph watching" and will be a rich reward for your patience and effort.

About 500 feet down the path, a small rock cairn marks the last of the petroglyphs along this section or the cliff: a large beautifully done image of a bighorn sheep and, on a large detached slab, the head and shoulders of a nearly life-size human figure. From this point, you can retrace your route, taking the left-hand fork in the path just before you reach the irrigation ditch crossing. This will bring you back to the parking area.

Interpreting the Petroglyphs

Within the general category of prehistoric rock art there are two basic subdivisions.

Petroglyphs are images created on rock surfaces by removing a portion of the rock surface, usually by "pecking" or chipping with a pointed piece of harder rock, but sometimes by scraping or "grooving" the rock face. The pecking tool could be held in the hand and wielded like an ice-pick, or held like a chisel in one hand while striking it with a "hammer-stone" held in the other hand. The latter method gives better control and likely was the preferred method.

Pictographs, the second major category of rock art, are images created on the rocks by adding or applying pigments, usually obtained from mineral sources, to the rock surface. On occasion, the two techniques were used in combination. Pictographs tend to weather faster and are usually preserved only in well-sheltered locations, as in shallow caves.

At this location, the cliff face is exposed to the weather and petroglyphs are the rock art form to be seen. Many of them are very faint from the effects of weathering. Perhaps at one time there were also pictographs to be seen here. If so, they are lost forever.

Prehistoric rock art raises many questions and provides an opportunity for endless speculation. One such question revolves around the identity of those who produced it. Many theories have been advanced, ascribing the rock art to (take your choice) ancient Egyptian, Phoenician or Celtic wanderers, member of the "lost tribe of Israel" or even to extra-terrestrial "space travelers". Most scholars, however, agree that the rock art of the Colorado Plateau was produced by prehistoric American Indians.

Another question often asked about prehistoric rock art is, "What does it mean?" Again, there is much speculation but little agreement. There is, perhaps, more consensus about what rock art does not mean. Most scholars - not all - agree that there is little evidence to support an old but very popular theory that it is a form of writing; universal meanings for rock art symbols seem to be lacking. Some people believe that rock art represents mere "doodling" with no real significance to the makers. While a minority of rock art may fall into this latter category, most does not appear to fit such a simplistic interpretation. The effort and skill needed to produce rock art suggests motivations more profound than boredom.

Much of the rock art on the Colorado Plateau has been interpreted as attempts to propitiate natural or supernatural forces. Human-like figures, such as those you have seen above, with elaborate masks, headdresses, and costumes suggest attempts to depict supernatural beings. Bighorn sheep are often seen on panels. Perhaps they, too, had religious significance. Other animals were equally familiar and useful to these people, but are depicted with far less frequency.

We cannot say for certain what rock art means; all we can do is make "educated" guesses. Nevertheless, speculating about the meaning of rock art is enjoyable and challenging; your interpretation may be as good as that of the "experts".

Age of the Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs and pictographs are hard to date with any great accuracy. We can, however, date some artifacts found in adjacent archeological sites with confidence. At Capitol Reef, these sites fall into a period between 700 A.D. and 1275 A.D. It appears that the same people who left these datable artifacts were the ones who created most of the rock art. Some rock art seems to have been added by more recent visitors. One petroglyph showing human figures on horses, probably Ute, is of more recent origin since horses were not introduced to North America until about 1500 A.D.

Tradition records that when Mormon pioneers began to settle this valley in the 1880s and clear the land for farming, they discovered traces of ancient irrigation systems. We know from a variety of artifacts discovered in the valley that the Fremont people understood and utilized basic agricultural practices. Unlike the Anasazi, who became almost totally dependent on farming, the Fremont developed a "mixed economy", continuing to depend heavily on hunting and gathering, but supplemented this by cultivating what has been described as "the trinity of prehistoric American Indian agriculture" - corn, beans, and squash. The flood plain between the Wingate cliff and the Fremont River, now bisected by the paved highway, may well have been a life-sustaining Fremont cornfield a thousand years ago!

Return to Top

RELATED GORP LINKS
GORP Parks and Preserves
Utah Resources
GORPtravel