On a recent trip exploring the canyon country of southeast Utah, I came upon a pictograph panel containing several hand prints that were most likely created by the Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) peoples that once called this area home. Perched high above a canyon in a small alcove, this was obviously a popular spot as evidence by the sheer number of hand prints scattered along the wall. Offering protection from the elements, namely the intense Utah sun, the alcove was considerable cooler than the mesa above and would have been a welcome relief to an Anasazi as it was to me.
We have yet to discover the Anasazi people’s “Rosetta Stone” and thus have no definitive way of knowing what the symbols left behind by the Anasazi mean. Perhaps this ancient graffiti was there way of saying “I was here”.
Please click on the image for an expanded view.
Adam Schallau is a photographer whose work explores a variety of topics that
include the landscape, culture and people of the American Southwest and Rocky
Mountains. It is with a profound respect for the land, its people and their
history that Adam sets out to recapture the spirit of a place to tell a story
through his photography.
Adam is a recipient of the Luminous Landscape Endowment Award and was an Artist-in-Residence
at Grand Canyon National Park.
Love the textures. Nice Native America Tagging
It’s a mark of the authors of the drawings, much as you sign your photos, it finishes the project.
You never know where you will find those! Amazing capture Adam!
Thanks everyone for your comments!