The Parowan Petroglyphs: Mapmakers and Artists From Long Ago
This tiny little canyon has a fascinating past.
I have a few places I love to visit when I am in this area, and one of them is the Parowan Gap and the Parowan Petroglyphs.
I also like to visit Parowan, the town, and love the beautiful and serene little town.
The Parowan Gap is a three-mile-long pass through the Red Hills, formed by a combination of geological processes over millions of years. Initially, a stream carved a path through the Navajo sandstone, creating a narrow passage that was later widened by wind erosion after the stream dried up. This process resulted in the formation of a wind gap, a rare geological feature where a river once flowed but no longer exists.
These huge rocks are found along the base of this formation and contain an assortment of ancient artifacts including dinosaur tracks embedded in them.
Look at the two different kinds of rocks that have tumbled off this cliff in through the millennia. Fascinating textures, colors, and shapes are a photographer's dream.
Millions of years ago, the sides of the gap started pushing up through the flat desert around. This created a space for wind and water to blow through and make the space wider and flatter.
The Parowan Gap is renowned for its petroglyphs, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site contains over 90 panels with more than 1,500 carvings, believed to have been created by various Native American cultures over thousands of years. These include the Fremont culture and possibly earlier groups such as the Archaic peoples.
This is one of the most famous Petroglyphs in existence. It’s called the “Zipper Glyph”.
The Zipper Glyph is one of the most famous petroglyphs at Parowan Gap. It features two “arms” and 180 notches, which some believe correspond to the 180 days between the summer and winter solstices. This has led to interpretations of it being a solar calendar or map related to celestial events.
The modern Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah interprets the Zipper Glyph as a story of a great leader during a migration, symbolizing hardship and challenges faced by the people, such as famine and drought.
There are hundreds of glyphs here both large and small. Some are hard to see as the rock has been worn down over hundreds of years.
These artisans were both storytellers and artists, using what they had to make something memorable, something for the ages.
The petroglyphs at Parowan Gap are noted for their complexity, with some archaeologists suggesting they may have served as a complex calendar system. The geometric designs are believed to have various interpretations, including religious or cultural significance.
If you go, enter from Parowan (I15) and head west. The road is paved all the way, and the walking paths are flat and easy for folks of all ages.
Even more interesting is that the precise age of the petroglyphs at Parowan Gap is unknown. They are believed to have been created over a long period by several cultural groups.
The Sevier-Fremont people, who lived in the area over a thousand years ago, are thought to have contributed to the petroglyphs. Additionally, earlier nomadic Archaic peoples and the ancestors of the present-day Southern Paiute may have also created some of the figures.
Some petroglyphs are believed to be thousands of years old, indicating a long history of use and significance for Native American cultures.
Looking at how the older glyphs are mixed with the newer (relatively, heh) gives one pause to wonder what they knew as they scraped rock on rock. Were they telling a story? Were they leaving notes to future explorers?
Or were they simply making art?
On the rocks. In an ancient canyon.
I am only sharing iPhone photos while I am rambling around on this road trip. Saving the other stuff for when I return home. I hate to edit on the road, according to my wife. And my wife is never wrong.
All photos by the author.
Hi, I’m Don Giannatti, a photographer and mentor for up-and-coming photographers. You can find me on my website, Don Giannatti, and at my Substack site, where I also publish for creative people.
