By Martin Jordan
One of the lesser known highlights of our Summer Trip to Billings, Montana (and back!) was just outside of Vernal, Utah: the McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs. This is a massive "collection" of petroglyphs and pictographs located on the McConkie Ranch.
The land has been in the family for three generations. In addition to ranching, the family has spent decades protecting these archaeological resources and welcoming visitors. Today, their descendants manage the site through the Bar V Bar Enterprises family corporation, ensuring the petroglyphs remain accessible to the public.
If you are interested in Native American history or petroglyphs, this site needs to be on your bucket list.
There are literally hundreds of petroglyphs in the trails on the ranch. Some are small, and some are larger than life. It was fascinating.
One accesses the panels via two relatively short and easy hikes. You are front and center with almost all of them. Two of the panels stand out in my mind: the "Main Panel" and the "Three Kings Panel." One can hike up to the Main Panel where anthropomorphs taller than people dominate the cliff. Some color still remains after all this time. The figures in this panel were made both by pecking (petroglyphs) and painting (pictographs).
Some of the anthropomorphs at McConkie Ranch are holding objects that have been referred to as “trophy heads.” It is unclear what these objects are. They may represent heads, or they may represent masks, bags, or something else. No one knows for sure what the message is, but there was a large block of dressed stone at the base of the main panel - ideal for removing heads.
The Three Kings Panel is located high on a rock tower beyond the end of the Three Kings Trail. It includes some of the most elaborate anthropomorphs at McConkie Ranch. These figures have intricately adorned headdresses, necklaces, belts, and other ornaments. The central figure is holding a large shield that appears to be attached to a stick with a head-like object on the other end. This central anthropomorph and the shield were both made by painting over pecking. Some of the figures in this panel overlay others, and some figures appear to be more patinated than others. All this suggests that the panel was created by adding individual figures over time.
Most of the rock imagery at McConkie Ranch was made by people that archaeologists call the Fremont People.
These people occupied the northern Colorado Plateau and eastern Great Basin from approximately A.D. 300 to 1300. They lived by farming domesticated plants, primarily corn, and by hunting and gathering a variety of wild animal and plant foods. Their technology included pottery and the bow and arrow.
Along the northern edge of the Uinta Basin, where Dry Fork Canyon is located, there was a period between approximately A.D. 800 and 1100 when Fremont people lived in small settlements, each consisting of a few pithouse dwellings. The style of Fremont rock imagery found at McConkie Ranch is often located near such settlements. It is therefore likely that this rock imagery was made during the “settled” period between A.D. 800 and 1100. However, the rock imagery has not been directly dated, so we don’t know this for sure.
The McConkie Ranch rock imagery likely indicates interaction with people from across the American Southwest. Kokopelli, or flute player, figures occur here. These are common in rock imagery throughout the Southwest. Some of the panels at McConkie Ranch include shield figures that are similar to those found in rock imagery of the Northern Pueblos of the Southwest. There may also be some rock imagery that predates the Fremont period. This remains conjecture because rock imagery is difficult to date. 
In addition to the rock art on the McConkie Ranch, enroute to/from the ranch is the "Remember the Maine" Park. In 1898, an enterprising local scaled a cliff side and painted an American flag and "Remember the Maine" as a memorial to those who perished in the explosion in Havana harbor. The local populace keeps it refreshed and the park below it is a sublime place for children to play or have a picnic.
In this posting, I have included some of the more interesting panels and views. I have a great deal more in reserve!
Respectfully submitted,
Martin Jordan, Retired Physicist
One of the lesser known highlights of our Summer Trip to Billings, Montana (and back!) was just outside of Vernal, Utah: the McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs. This is a massive "collection" of petroglyphs and pictographs located on the McConkie Ranch.
The land has been in the family for three generations. In addition to ranching, the family has spent decades protecting these archaeological resources and welcoming visitors. Today, their descendants manage the site through the Bar V Bar Enterprises family corporation, ensuring the petroglyphs remain accessible to the public.
If you are interested in Native American history or petroglyphs, this site needs to be on your bucket list.
There are literally hundreds of petroglyphs in the trails on the ranch. Some are small, and some are larger than life. It was fascinating.
One accesses the panels via two relatively short and easy hikes. You are front and center with almost all of them. Two of the panels stand out in my mind: the "Main Panel" and the "Three Kings Panel." One can hike up to the Main Panel where anthropomorphs taller than people dominate the cliff. Some color still remains after all this time. The figures in this panel were made both by pecking (petroglyphs) and painting (pictographs).
Some of the anthropomorphs at McConkie Ranch are holding objects that have been referred to as “trophy heads.” It is unclear what these objects are. They may represent heads, or they may represent masks, bags, or something else. No one knows for sure what the message is, but there was a large block of dressed stone at the base of the main panel - ideal for removing heads.
The Three Kings Panel is located high on a rock tower beyond the end of the Three Kings Trail. It includes some of the most elaborate anthropomorphs at McConkie Ranch. These figures have intricately adorned headdresses, necklaces, belts, and other ornaments. The central figure is holding a large shield that appears to be attached to a stick with a head-like object on the other end. This central anthropomorph and the shield were both made by painting over pecking. Some of the figures in this panel overlay others, and some figures appear to be more patinated than others. All this suggests that the panel was created by adding individual figures over time.
Most of the rock imagery at McConkie Ranch was made by people that archaeologists call the Fremont People.
These people occupied the northern Colorado Plateau and eastern Great Basin from approximately A.D. 300 to 1300. They lived by farming domesticated plants, primarily corn, and by hunting and gathering a variety of wild animal and plant foods. Their technology included pottery and the bow and arrow.
Along the northern edge of the Uinta Basin, where Dry Fork Canyon is located, there was a period between approximately A.D. 800 and 1100 when Fremont people lived in small settlements, each consisting of a few pithouse dwellings. The style of Fremont rock imagery found at McConkie Ranch is often located near such settlements. It is therefore likely that this rock imagery was made during the “settled” period between A.D. 800 and 1100. However, the rock imagery has not been directly dated, so we don’t know this for sure.
The McConkie Ranch rock imagery likely indicates interaction with people from across the American Southwest. Kokopelli, or flute player, figures occur here. These are common in rock imagery throughout the Southwest. Some of the panels at McConkie Ranch include shield figures that are similar to those found in rock imagery of the Northern Pueblos of the Southwest. There may also be some rock imagery that predates the Fremont period. This remains conjecture because rock imagery is difficult to date.
In addition to the rock art on the McConkie Ranch, enroute to/from the ranch is the "Remember the Maine" Park. In 1898, an enterprising local scaled a cliff side and painted an American flag and "Remember the Maine" as a memorial to those who perished in the explosion in Havana harbor. The local populace keeps it refreshed and the park below it is a sublime place for children to play or have a picnic.
In this posting, I have included some of the more interesting panels and views. I have a great deal more in reserve!
Respectfully submitted,
Martin Jordan, Retired Physicist
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
Photos by Martin Jordan
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