Utah

Two acts of vandalism in Moab, Utah
by Stephen Alvarez|April 29, 2021|news
Two acts of vandalism happened to rock art near Moab last week. Birthing Rock before the vandalism, Image by Alan Cressler Near Moab a climber intentionally bolted through a rock art panel. This has been widely reported on social media and in the outdoor recreation world. The climb is called the Sunshine Slabs. The bolts were removed by other climbers, but the holes that remain and will hasten erosion of the rock art panel. The offender’s defense was that he was trying to make the very easier (5.3) climb even more accessible. It is important to note that even though this happened on public land, it is illegal make permanent changes to the public land without permits. It’s the same as mining for gold or building a road without permits, its illegal. The culprit is known and is presumably being dealt with by the BLM who manages the site. Read...
Rock Art in the Bears Ears National Monument
Bears Ears National Monument is 3 years old
by Stephen Alvarez|December 28, 2019|Bears Ears, petroglyph, pictograph, Rock Art, San Juan County, Utah
The Bears Ears National Monument is 3 years old!
Platinum Palladium Print
by Stephen Alvarez|November 29, 2019|Uncategorized
Master platinum-palladium printer and Guggenheim Grant winner Pradip Malde produced an exquisite, limited-edition print to support the Ancient Art Archive. Pradip and I chose a photograph of the Head of Sinbad rock art site on the San Rafael Swell in Central Utah for this print. The paintings are Barrier Canyon Style and thought to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old. I shot the image this spring with Pradip’s printing in mind. Platinum print by Pradip Malde, image by Stephen Alvarez image size approximately 9" x 14"
Good News for the San Rafael Swell
by Stephen Alvarez|March 5, 2019|Barrier Canyon Style, Emery County, petroglyph, pictograph, Rock Art, Utah
Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel on the San Rafael Swell Those of you who have been following the Ancient Art Archive's work are familiar with our efforts to document Barrier Canyon Style (BCS) artworks. BCS is one of North America's most enigmatic and evocative styles. It is known, primarily from the San Rafael Swell of Central Utah. In general conservation news has been bad in Utah for the past few years. Both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monuments were significantly reduced. However, last month a mammoth public lands bill passed both the House and Senate that will increase protections on many National Lands. Among many other things the bill adds 660,000 acres of wilderness designation to Emery County Utah, home of much of the San Rafael Swell. You can read more here. The Rochester Rock Art Panel in Emery County Utah
Barrier Canyon Rock Art, Utah
by Stephen Alvarez|January 16, 2019|2000 BP, Barrier Canyon Style, Native American, San Juan County, Utah
A Barrier Canyon Painting in Southern Utah
Procession Panel, San Juan County Utah
by Stephen Alvarez|February 7, 2018|San Juan County, Utah
Procession Panel, San Juan County Utah
Bears Ears Images
Bears Ears Images
by Stephen Alvarez|May 29, 2017|Bears Ears, petroglyph, Rock Art, San Juan County, Utah
Petroglyphs in Comb Wash Utah's Bears Ears National Monument is a national treasure. Besides the area's fantastic natural beauty the Monument contains over 100,000 archeological sites. Many of you generously supported a scouting trip to the Bears Ears this spring. The images are now online here. (more…)
Procession Panel, Bears Ears National Monument, Utah
by Stephen Alvarez|April 24, 2017|Bears Ears, San Juan County, Utah
Moonrise behind the Procession Panel, Comb Ridge, Utah Recorded March 2017 The Procession Panel, San Juan County, Utah The 15-foot long panel depicts 179 human-like forms coming from three different directions and converging on a central circle. Other figures in the panel include mountain sheep, deer and/or elk and snakes. A few smaller panels are located along the cliff just below the main panel. The Procession Panel in Comb Wash, San Juan Country Utah The Panel is one of the most iconic rock art sites in the new Bears Ears National Monument. As such, modeling it was a primary objective of this year's visit to Utah. The model below was built using more than 200 DSLR images. It is best viewed in High Resolution. The Bears Ears contains a stunning number of archeological sites. The monument is a 1.3 million acre open air museum. The area is central to the...
Bear Ears
by Stephen Alvarez|March 20, 2017|Bears Ears, Fremont, petroglyph, pictograph, Rock Art, San Juan County, Utah
The Procession Panel, San Juan County Utah The Ancient Art Archive is in Utah all week scouting locations to record in the Bears Ears. For those that don't know, the Bears Ears is one of the United States newest National Monuments. Its 1.3 million acres represent some of the most inaccessible landscape in the lower 48 states. It is also a cultural treasure. There are over 100,000 archeological sites in the Monument and tens of thousands of pictographs and petroglyphs. It's a remarkable place. Thanks to everyone who has helped us get into the field this spring. Your support is vital.  
Rochester Rock art Fremont Panel
The Rochester Rock Art Panel, Emery County Utah
by Stephen Alvarez|February 23, 2017|2000 BP, Emery County, Fremont
Rochester Rock Art Panel Panel, Utah by Ancient Art Archive on Sketchfab Located on a prominent spit of land above Muddy Creek and a side canyon, the Rochester Rock art panel is an extremely complex site. It incorporates images from the Fremont culture to historic times so the art varies in age from 2,000 years old to modern. The panel sees a lot of visitation and hence there has been a lot of damage over the years.