Saturday, March 27, 2010

Anasazi Ridge Petroglyphs


Anasazi Ridge is a rock art site overlooking the Santa Clara River a few miles west of St George. Several hundred petroglyphs (no pictographs were observed) are found on sandstone cap boulders on top of a 80 meter high north to south running ridge. Exploratory excavations by Brigham Young University in 2006 have uncovered possible Anasazi pueblo walls along the top of the ridge. The petroglyphs here are found as isolated elements, in small groups, and a few larger panels along a hundred meter section of the ridge. There is little to no super imposition of images.


Many of the petroglyphs are similar to those found at other Anasazi sites and are believed to have been made during Anasazi times. The images are found on the sides of boulders as well as across the boulder tops where the outer layers of sandstone are eroding away. Common elements include spirals, anthropomorphs, footprints- human and animal, blanket designs, species nonspecific quadrupeds, and sheep- square body and rounded. There are some bisected circles, dots and squiggles that may date from Archaic times and some abstract designs that may be of later Numic origin.

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