PRICE, Utah — Tucked away in the heart of Utah lies an extraordinary testament to the ancient past, a marvel often overlooked amidst the state's more renowned natural wonders.
Referred to as the "World's Longest Art Gallery," Nine Mile Canyon offers a profound glimpse into the lives and cultures of those who thrived thousands of years ago.
DISCOVERING THE LEGACY
Situated along Main Street in Price, Utah, the Prehistoric Museum at Utah State University serves as a gateway to the archaeological riches of the region.
Tim Riley explains below the significance of The Great Hunt panel in Nine Mile Canyon:
Directed by Tim Riley, the museum's curator, it stands as a repository of artifacts and knowledge, preserving the stories of indigenous peoples through their ancient relics.
"The reason why this museum exists here in Eastern Utah is because we're telling the story of native history through their objects," Riley said.
The museum is a sight to see in itself, but its location is key as Riley says most of the things in the museum were found within a 2-hour drive of the museum.
UNVEILING THE LONGEST ART GALLERY
While the museum houses a trove of historical artifacts, one particular focus captures the imagination: rock art.
Dubbed the "Longest Art Gallery in the World," the nearby Nine Mile Canyon boasts an unparalleled density of rock art images, offering a window into diverse indigenous cultures spanning millennia.
"It has an incredible density and amount of rock art images that indigenous peoples from Utah have left behind," Riley said. "And there's multiple different time periods and even what we would call an archaeological culture represented.”
Venturing into Nine Mile Canyon, visitors embark on a 40-mile odyssey through ancient history.
Riley guides explorations to various sites adorned with petroglyphs and pictographs, each panel narrating tales of bygone eras.
Drone video below shows the spectacular beauty of Nine Mile Canyon:
"Based on people who've studied it for decades at this point, we have probably close to 1000 panels, at least 500 of which have been documented," he said.
LEGACY OF THE FREMONT PEOPLE
The creators of much of the canyon's rock art remain shrouded in mystery, though archaeologists often attribute it to the Fremont people.
Named after the Fremont River, these ancient inhabitants were agriculturalists who flourished from approximately 400 AD to 1350 AD, leaving behind a rich cultural legacy.
Here’s a short write-up from the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum on the Fremont people:
“The culture that is characteristically, and almost exclusively Utahn is the Fremont Culture which was first described by Noel Morss in 1931. It is perhaps best represented in the canyons to the east of the Wasatch Mountains from Vernal to the Colorado River, but evidence of it is found all over Utah, except for a small corner in San Juan County. When it appeared is a much debated point, but about six A.D., the old hunting and gathering culture gave way to a partly farming culture which included some ideas from the Anasazi fanners to the south. Along with many other distinctive characteristics, the Fremont people developed their own art style. This was typified by horned, trapezoidal-bodied anthropomorphs (human-like objects) which seem to have been made everywhere the Fremont people lived.”
One of the most stark panels that you can see examples of such artwork is called The Great Hunt. Here’s Riley explaining more about that particular panel.
PRESERVING THE PAST
While Nine Mile Canyon serves as a testament to human ingenuity and creativity, it also bears scars of modern intrusions.
Instances of vandalism, ranging from spray-painted graffiti to bullet holes, threaten the integrity of these ancient artworks.
"There's vandalism cases on rock art," Riley lamented. "Basically, every year in Utah, almost every year in Nine Mile, there's some impacts.”
The National Park Service states: “Under the Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), these acts of vandalism are illegal and are punishable by up to 2 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.”
But aside from blatant vandalism, small impacts can also damage sites.
"Every time you visit a site you are impacting it. So when those sites are impacted by our behaviors, today, we're losing that part of the archaeological and historic record,” Riley said, adding that even the oils from your hands and fingers damage the art that is thousands of years old.
LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
Despite the challenges, Riley remains hopeful that Nine Mile Canyon will endure as a timeless repository of human heritage.
He urges visitors to approach with reverence, mindful of the fragility of these ancient wonders.
"This is a place that people lived in and died in and farmed and made their own beads and traded with people outside of the canyon, and it really helps show a story of the life of the people who lived out here," he said.
In an era of rapid change, preserving such cultural treasures becomes imperative.
As custodians of the past, it falls upon present generations to safeguard these sacred sites for the benefit of future ones.
Nine Mile Canyon stands not only as a testament to human creativity but also as a poignant reminder of our interconnectedness across time.
In its weathered rock faces and ancient etchings, lies a story waiting to be told—a narrative of resilience, adaptation, and the enduring spirit of humanity.