In The Spotlight
BLM Salt Lake Field Office Completes Passport In Time Project
In August 2012, archaeologists from the BLM Salt Lake Field Office, (SLFO) in conjunction with a team of volunteers from across the United States, completed a Passport In Time (PIT) project on the south side of the Lake Mountains. The Passports In Time program recruits volunteers to aid in a wide variety of projects, including field research. The Lake Mountain Petroglyph project represented a wonderful opportunity to combine public education and outreach with much-needed field research.
The Lake Mountain area contains numerous rock art sites, comprised primarily of petroglyphs, but there are spatial gaps in the record. The Lake Mountain Petroglyph project sought to fill in some of those gaps. Virtually all of the figures represented in the petroglyphs were created using a “stippling” method, which entails striking the surface of the stone exhibiting the figure with a second rock. This removes the varnish, or outer skin, from the stone leaving deeper layers of rock exposed. This deeper layer has a different color than the outer skin thus making the petroglyph visible. Included among the petroglyphs are anthropomorphs (abstract representations of humans), zoomorphs (abstract representations of animals) and geometric figures. As representations of ancient art and cosmology, petroglyphs are a unique and irreplaceable cultural resource. By virtue of identifying new rock art sites, the results of this PIT project will play a pivotal role in SLFO efforts to more completely understand the cultural resources it is responsible for managing.
The Lake Mountain Petroglyph Project team spent five days clambering around boulders strewn at the base of rock scarps in search of petroglyphs meticulously carved into rock faces many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years ago. Once located, the petroglyphs were photographed and their locations recorded. The results of the PIT project were very gratifying. In all, three previously unidentified rock art sites, consisting of more than 70 individual panels, were identified and recorded.
Despite the relentless sun and scorching temperatures typical of the desert summer, the unfaltering efforts of project volunteers helped produce new and important information about the prehistoric past in Utah.
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