Parowan Gap Petroglyphs
Posted by: 
brwhiz
N 37° 54.563 W 112° 59.095
12S E 325506 N 4197618
The Parowan Gap Petroglyphs were officially "discovered" by a group from the Southern Expedition of 1849 under the leadership of David Fullmer.
Waymark Code: WME57N
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 04/05/2012
Views: 25
From Utah.com:
Several centuries ago Native Americans traveling through the area stopped and pecked designs onto the smooth faces of large boulders found on the east side of the gap. Over the years many of the boulders have been covered with these chiseled figures known as petroglyphs.
The petroglyphs here are thought to be the work of several cultural groups and represent a long period of use by Native cultures. What these designs mean is still unknown. Archaeologists debate that they represent concepts, ideas or actual happenings. Perhaps they were part of a religious activity or hunting ritual. The local Native Americans consider them to be an important part of their cultural history relating stories of their ancestor's lifeways.
New dating techniques are being developed that will allow petroglyphs to be placed in time. While we don't know the precise age of these petroglyphs yet, we do know that the agriculturally based Sevier-Fremont lived in the area over a thousand years ago. There is little doubt that some of the designs were made by this group, or perhaps even the earlier nomadic Archaic peoples. Researchers believe that the semi-nomadic ancestors of the present day Southern Paiute also created some of these figures.
The Parowan Gap Petroglyphs are listed on the National Registe of Historic Places signifying its importance as a cultural treasure. When sites are damaged in any way, much of what they can tell us is lost forever.
Please tread lightly, causing as little disturbance as possible. Rock art should be photographed or sketched but not touched in any way. Fingers and palms leave oils that speed deterioration. Chalking the figures will eliminate the chance to use new dating techniques in the future.
Laws with stiff penalties have been enacted to protect our past. But each of us have a responsibility to help preserve this and other archaeological and historically significant sites. Please report any vandalism to the local BLM Office or Sheriff.
Visit Instructions:1. You may log as many different waymarks as you wish but you may only log each one once.
2. You must include a close up photo of the pictograph and your GPSr. The pictograph must be recognizable.
3. Tell a little bit about what you learned of the area.