Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel

Summary: The Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel along the Colorado River has been estimated to be 3,000 to 6,000 years old and interpreted as a hunting scene.

  • Site type: Rock engraving - intaglio
  • Number of motifs: 30
  • Motif/s: Man, Sheep
  • Condition of site: Good

The Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel (also referred to as Petroglyph Beach) is a signposted native American rock art site in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Archaeologists believe the petroglyph panel is between 3,000 and 6,000 years in age, and contains two elements of rock art representing three separate temporal and cultural periods.

028A5868 Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel

The name of the panel comes from a line of sheep moving right to left, which has has been interpreted as a hunting scene.

Descending Sheep Panel

A group of hunters are to the left and to the right of the descending sheep (as well as more sheep).

028A5855 Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel
028A5861 Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel

A figure in a very different and more figurative is at the right-hand side of the Descending Sheep Panel. (Unfortunately the panel was defaced in 2010 by a fisherman in a widely publicised incident.)

028A5864 Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel

Getting to the Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel

The rock art panel is along the Colorado River almost exactly halfway between Glen Canyon Dam and Lees Ferry. Access is by boat or kayak, and commercial rafting tours will stop at Petroglyph Beach. From the beach, it’s a short walk along an obvious trail to the signposted site.

028A5851 Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel
028A5871 Descending Sheep Petroglyph Panel

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