Stories in Stone

Rock markings at various places in Capitol Reef and across the Southwest carry many meanings. Most petroglyphs, which are carvings, and pictographs, which are paintings, in Capitol Reef are attributed to the Hisatsinom, called the Fremont Culture by Euro-American archeologists, and were created between about 300 and 1300 C.E. Some are older still and represent people whom archeologists refer to as Desert Archaic. Petroglyphs and pictographs were made using stone tools and pigments derived from minerals and plants. This distinctive style is found primarily throughout Utah and contrasts somewhat with markings in other parts of the Southwest. The modern-day tribes with the closest association to these works at Capitol Reef are the Hopi Tribe and Pueblo of Zuni, and the Hopi and Zuni say the markings confirm the presence of their ancestors there. The stories present detailed information about geography, demography, economy, and religion, including daily activities, maps and journeys, clan symbols, deities, hunted animals, calendars, and other features. Other tribes associated with Capitol Reef say the markings may be considered libraries that speak to American Indians about past events, legends, journeys, and genealogy, among other topics. These expressions were created by people who thrived there for centuries, whose descendants still live in the Southwest, and they are irreplaceable connections between people who lived at Capitol Reef in the past and the present. Other petroglyphs at this site were destroyed by natural rockfall in early 1952.

Utah · United States