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Western San Juan Basketmaker-style Petroglyphs

Western San Juan Basketmaker figures with large headdresses, necklaces and sashes

The striking headdresses on these anthropomorphs are a feature of the Western San Juan Basketmaker style. Notable too are the earrings, chest decorations, and sashes. The figure on the left shows an animal within the torso, similar to some of the Barrier Canyon Style figures at the Great Gallery. A theory is that the hanging feet represent a trance state. The figure on the right may be wearing a mask.

Large Basketmaker petroglyph panel on a cliff above the San Juan River

If one takes a raft trip from Bluff, Utah down the San Juan River, the guides always stop at this panel. The full panel is at least twice this size as there are more forms to the right, and although faded they are just as impressive.

Pecked petroglyph of a tall figure with a headdress and long arms, beside smaller figures and a squiggling snake

The figure on the left is beautifully defined, a striking contrast to the jumble of forms on the right.

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