[Aztlan] 6000 year old petroglyphs in Utah

[michael ruggeri]

Article Last Updated: 9/16/2006 01:53 AM


Eagle Mountain: Ancient rock art found at building site
Petroglyphs could be 6,000 years old
By Todd Hollingshead
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune

EAGLE MOUNTAIN - Development in this booming Utah County city is  
nearly impossible to slow down.
    Unless, of course, you run into 6,000-year-old petroglyphs.
    That's the predicament developers for Eagle Mountain Ranch LLC  
faced when they learned part of their property slated for a  
residential subdivision contained archaic rock art.
    "It is some of the oldest rock art in Utah," Nina Bowen,  
archivist for the Utah Rock Art Research Association, said in a news  
release. "Its style is very unique."
    Knowing the significance of the rock drawings, city officials and  
developers are making a joint effort to protect it.
    The most compelling piece at the undisclosed site shows what  
appears to be three figures holding hands and dancing, said Utah Rock  
Art Research president Troy Scotter.
    The Salt Lake Tribune and other news media won't see the art  
until a Monday news conference.
    Scotter said the region boasts quite a bit of rock art - ranging  
from archaic (2,000 to 6,000 years old) to younger creations by the  
Fremont people (A.D. 500 to 1300).
    He said the dancing-figures petroglyph is likely Fremont art -  
although more archaic drawings were found at the Eagle Mountain site  
as well.
    "Utah has probably the largest concentration of rock art of  
almost anywhere in the world, certainly in the United States,"  
Scotter said.
    "But west of Utah Lake is kind of an anomaly," he added. "Why is  
the rock art over there? Maybe that was a ceremonial site or maybe a  
site to get sunrise views. It's a good question, and we don't have a  
very good answer."
    Members of the the rock art association have known about the  
Eagle Mountain petroglyphs for at least a decade, Scotter said.
    Last year, the rock art experts informed city officials and took  
them to the site.
    City staffers then passed the word to developers once they  
started their plans.
    Since the petroglyphs in question are on private land, the 1979  
Archaeological Resources Protection Act affords the ancient art no  
guaranteed protection.
    "Private landowners should report what they find to the state,  
but if [they] want to build a house on top of it, [they're] fine,"  
Scotter said.
    Eagle Mountain Ranch LLC is willing to work with city officials  
to preserve the artifacts.
    "We're going to make it a feature of our [project]," developer  
Larry Franciose said.
    A city news release noted the rock art is on land planned for the  
Oquirrh Heights subdivision, a 182-acre development of 477 single- 
family homes.
    The petroglyphs will be incorporated into the 64 acres of open  
space, parks and trails also planned for the subdivision. Part of  
that featured treatment could include signs describing the rock art,  
its source and its history.
    Eagle Mountain Mayor Brian Olsen and other city officials now are  
considering an ordinance that would bring steep fines for vandalism  
of the art.
    thollingshead at sltrib.com
    Unveiling
    City officials, developers and rock art experts will show the  
rock art to the news media Monday during a brief media tour.
    Source: Xxxxxxx xxxxxxx



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