Courthouse Wash Pictographs
Encyclopedia
The Courthouse Wash Pictographs are a series of large pictographs created over a long period of time, located on a sheltered sandstone
wall in Arches National Park
, Utah
. The series of images depict a variety of figures, many of them anthropomorphic and measuring up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in height. The Courthouse wash site is located near the junction of Courthouse Wash with the Colorado River
, extending over a 100-meter section of cliff base. The pictographs include painted figures resembling those found in Horseshoe Canyon
in Canyonlands National Park
, 35 miles (56.3 km) to the west. Other figures, including those of animals, have been incised by removal of the rock's covering of desert varnish
. The painted figures follow the Barrier Canyon Style
and are believed to be between 1500 and 4000 years old. The incised figures are attributed to the Fremont culture
and are dated to about 1000-1200 AD. Figures mounted on horseback were created in historical times since the 16th century introduction of horses and are attributed to Navajo
or Ute artists.
The site is accessible from a footpath, 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) from US 191 northeast of Moab, Utah
. The site was extensively vandalized in 1980, but has been conserved.
The Courthouse Wash site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on April 1, 1976.
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
wall in Arches National Park
Arches National Park
Arches National Park is a U.S. National Park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations....
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The series of images depict a variety of figures, many of them anthropomorphic and measuring up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in height. The Courthouse wash site is located near the junction of Courthouse Wash with the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
, extending over a 100-meter section of cliff base. The pictographs include painted figures resembling those found in Horseshoe Canyon
Horseshoe Canyon (Utah)
Horseshoe Canyon, formerly known as Barrier Canyon, is in a remote area west of the Green River and north of the Canyonlands National Park Maze District in Utah, USA. It is known for its collection of Barrier Canyon Style rock art, including both pictographs and petroglyphs, which was first...
in Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts:...
, 35 miles (56.3 km) to the west. Other figures, including those of animals, have been incised by removal of the rock's covering of desert varnish
Desert varnish
Desert varnish, or rock varnish is a orange-yellow to black coating found on exposed rock surfaces in arid environments. Desert varnish is usually around one micron thick and present nanometre-scale layering...
. The painted figures follow the Barrier Canyon Style
Barrier Canyon Style
Barrier Canyon Style describes a distinctive style of rock art which appears mostly in Utah, with the largest concentration of sites in and around the San Rafael Swell and Canyonlands National Park, but the full range extends into much of the state and western Colorado...
and are believed to be between 1500 and 4000 years old. The incised figures are attributed to the Fremont culture
Fremont culture
The Fremont culture or Fremont people is a pre-Columbian archaeological culture which received its name from the Fremont River in the U.S. state of Utah where the first Fremont sites were discovered. The Fremont River itself is named for John Charles Frémont, an American explorer. It inhabited...
and are dated to about 1000-1200 AD. Figures mounted on horseback were created in historical times since the 16th century introduction of horses and are attributed to Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
or Ute artists.
The site is accessible from a footpath, 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) from US 191 northeast of Moab, Utah
Moab, Utah
Moab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. The population was 4,779 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Grand County. Moab hosts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks...
. The site was extensively vandalized in 1980, but has been conserved.
The Courthouse Wash site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 1, 1976.
External links
- Courthouse Wash Rock Art Site at the Bureau of Land Management