San Rafael Swell
Rock Art:
Rochester Canyon
This page contains a discussion of the rock art found on the Rochester Canyon Panel within the San Rafael Swell in Utah. All photographs are from our our personal collection. If you'd like to see more rock art from this location, or if you'd like to see higher resolution or larger images, send us an e-mail message and we'll see what we can do.
Rochester Canyon is in the Coal Cliffs range east of the town of Emery, Utah. This is a world-class site, with an amazing main panel that is covered with a variety of images. All along the trail to the Rainbow Panel there are images hidden here and there.
This site is located on a rocky point high above the junction of Rochester Creek and the Muddy River. It is one of the best, most complex, and most interesting sites within Utah. The main panel is dominated by a large rainbow or arc of eight parallel lines. Above and below this rainbow are dozens of large and small petroglyphs of anthropomorphs and zoomorphs, as well as other designs, including a birthing scene, two-headed goats, owls, deer, snakes, and other creatures. With a little imagination one can define an alligator, a hippopotamus with bulging eyeballs, a ferocious dog or wolf, and elongated dragon-like creature with horns and four short legs, spouting fire.
There is debate as to those responsible for this site. Some believe this is definitely not a Fremont Culture site, while others think that it is. It may turn out that various people at various times contributed to this unique site that may date back to 10 A.D.
- Archaeological Resources Protection Act Hotline: 800-227-7286.
- See Archaeological Site Etiquette.
- See American Antiquities Act of 1906.
- See Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979.
- See More Rock Art Sites.
Other rock art sites within the San Rafael Swell:
Photo Gallery
All of these photos have been resized and manipulated in Photoshop to give the best representation of the image. Some color distortion is inevitable. If you would like to see higher quality versions of these shots, or if you would like to use these images for any purpose, please contact us and we would be glad to help if we can.
Select an image to see a full sized version.
| Anthropomorphs | |
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RC006: This figure has a broad chest and a long, thin torso with legs. There are long lateral projections from the head, as well as a pair of horns. |
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RC009: This is near the top of a very long line that runs from the bottom of this panel all the way to the top of the rock on which these images have been incised. At this point along there length there is this anthropomorphic figure worked into the line. It has upraised arms and an oval shaped head with eyes. Above there head there seems to be a headdress. |
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RC023: This image is a distant view of the figure in RC009. Here you can see that there are several circles placed along the length of the line. |
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RC052: This figure is unusual in that it is a profile view. The figure has legs and feet, and the oval shaped head appears to have a bun or tied hair at the back. There are also horns or antlers protruding from the head. The figure seems to be holding a stick, much like a conductor of an orchestra might do. |
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RC017: There are several interesting anthropomorphic figures in this group. |
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RC020: The main figure in this group appears to be running. |
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RC022: The main figure in this image has an elongated body and round head with several protrusions. |
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RC024: This is a representation of a broad human foot. |
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RC029: This is an unusual ghost-like figure wearing what looks like a helmet. |
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RC030: This walking figure either has very large hands or is carrying something in each hand. |
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RC032: This figure has somewhat of a rounded trapezoidal torso with short arms and legs. There is a short, thick neck supporting an oval shaped head with a pair of thin horns. |
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RC033: This thick figure seems to be walking or running. It has long thin arms and a head that seems to be in slight profile. There appear to be earrings and horns. |
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RC037: This squat, thick figure has raised arms, with the left one waving a hand with three fingers. There is a headdress with short horns and earrings. |
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RC041: This appears to both a graphic birthing scene an perhaps a fertility scene. The larger, top figure is that of a woman with obvious sex organs. Below her is what appears to be a male figure lying on its back with an erect penis pointing toward the female. There are also several smaller figures around these two, which may be helpers. One of the small figures has large circles in the chest area which may represent large breasts, but that is uncertain. |
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RC043: This anthropomorphic figure seems to be ascending from the rainbow image that is the most prominent object on the entire panel. |
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RC044: This figure is in close approximation to the birthing scene and has the appearance of a buxom woman. However, this figure appears to overlay that of a deer-like zoomorph, and that may be what give this figure the appearance of having large breasts. |
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RC050: This unusual scene shows an anthropomorph erecting what might be a cage or enclosure surrounding a bird-like zoomorph. The human figure has a short erect penis. |
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RC066: This featureless figure has a ring of pecked dots surrounding it. |
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RC071: Another of the unusual groupings on this panel is this trio. The upper image appears to be a female bent over with long hanging breasts. Either that or the figure is some sort of four legged creature. The lower figure has a long torso, and equally long legs. There are no apparent arms, but there is a long object at about waist height. It is difficult to determine what this might be. The third figure is considerably smaller than the other two, but seems to be facing them and perhaps is aiming some sort of weapon. |
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RC073: This image has a mixture of ancient and historic figures. There is a date of 1928 above the image of a horse. Beneath these modern figures there is an anthropomorph with upraised arms, one of which is waving a hand with four fingers. To this figure's right there is a small zoomorph that looks like a mountain goat. Next to this figure is another anthropomorph similar to some seen at the Buckhorn Draw and Buckhorn Cattle Guard sites. |
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RC074: This is a close up of the two right most figures described in RC073. |
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RC075: This is a simple little figure with raised arms and spread legs. The head, hands, and feet are all represented by small balls. |
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RC077: This may be a Kokopelli-like figure walking along playing a long flute, or perhaps it's a warrior or hunter preparing to throw a spear using an atlatl. In either case the figure is definitely male, as demonstrated by the erect penis. |
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RC080: This figure reminds me of one seen at the Buckhorn Cattle Guard site. I'm not sure what it really represents, but to the modern eye it looks a bit like a rock guitar player ready to bang on his strings. |
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RC082: This is a series of three footprints. |
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RC084: This interesting figure is both pecked and painted red. The thin torso has outstretched arms with five spread fingers on one hand and six on the other. The round head has earrings. There are legs and feet with toes. |
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RC086: This figure has faded somewhat, but appears to have a trapezoidal torso and the head is wearing some sort of cap or headdress. |
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RC087: This short figure stands in a gunfighter stance and is wearing a headdress with either three feathers or three horns. |
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RC088: This is somewhat of a animated cartoon ghost-like figure. |
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RC091: This stick figure has two legs, a stretched and twisted torso, a ball shaped chest with outstretched arms ending in balls, and a somewhat detached head. |
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RC092: At first this looks like a large land bird, like an ostrich or moa, but it might also be a human figure bent over while carrying a large pack or other burden. |
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RC093: This figure is a little bit like RC087, but this image is pecked in a different way and does not quite have the gunfighter stance. |
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RC095: This is an unusual figure of what might be a dancing goat or a human wearing a mask or headdress that represents a Desert Big Horn sheep. |
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RC101: This appears to be another dancing figure wearing a headdress with horns. |
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RC103: This figure is probably a male, since it appears to have a small penis. The figure is standing beneath what looks like a picket fence, with upraised arms. |
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RC104: This figure has bent knees, perhaps dancing, and is associated with what look to be two or more snakes. Perhaps this is a snake charmer. |
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RC105: There are a couple of figures in this image. The upper image is difficult to define, while the lower image appears to be a human figure carrying a back pack or burden basket and may be on a journey. |
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RC108: The head of this figure sits down upon the broad shoulders. The right arm reaches out and is in contact with the rump of what might be a pronghorn or a mountain sheep. |
| Geometric Figures and Patterns | |
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RC001: This could be a snake, but with that rectangular object attached to the mid point, I'm not so sure. |
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RC003: The small figure to the left could be a bird, but I'm not sure what the object to the right might be. Perhaps a seed pod on a stem. |
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RC005: A collection of interesting objects. The small figure to the right might be an anthropomorph with raised arms, standing on a ball. |
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RC007: Is this an anthropomorph, a zoomorph, or just some graphic image. |
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RC015: A snake with a fringed head? A plant with a wavy stem? You guess. |
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RC026: Looks like the Lunar Lander. |
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RC028: A snake with a loop tail? A stream flowing into a lake? The beginning and ending of a journey? Again, you guess. |
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RC034: Circles and lines. |
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RC035: Two intertwined snakes? |
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RC036: Perhaps a long legged stick figure of a zoomorph of some sort. |
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RC042: A bug-like critter peeks over the top of the rainbow. |
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RC045: Perhaps a sitting or reclining anthropomorph. |
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RC047: A record of a journey? Or simply doodles? |
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RC051: This looks like the necklace from a Fremont culture figure, next to some sort of staff or spear. Though there is no evidence visible, I wonder if there wasn't a painted figure here at one point and the paint has completely washed away, leaving only the pecked portion of the figure. |
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RC069: A star inside of a crescent, and some sort of zoomorph. |
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RC070: A stylized zoomorph, or just a graphic image. |
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RC090: A pregnant snake? Some sort of plant? |
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RC096: A pecked spiral. |
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RC100: This little figure looks a little like an airplane. |
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RC107: Another journey, or more doodles? Or something only meaningful to its creator. |
| Panels | |
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RC008: This is the famous Rochester Panel. It faces east, and is the main feature in the canyon. From the bottom to the top of this photo is about six feet. This is believed to be a solar calendar. Placing a rod in a hole in front of the rainbow image produces a morning shadow that points to various images above the rainbow. Some images are probably missing due to the dislodged surface above the rainbow. |
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RC063: This is a slightly different view of RC008. |
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RC004: Several figures on a small side panel. |
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RC019: A close up of some of the images on one of the side panels. |
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RC027: A close up of the mixture of zoomorphs and anthropomorphs seen throughout the main panel. |
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RC049: A close up of some of the smaller figures associated with the rainbow. |
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RC058: Several of the strange anthropomorphs and zoomorphs at the site. |
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RC059: A "push me pull you" two headed Desert Big Horn as well as other smaller zoomorphs and anthropomorphs. |
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RC062: A little closer view of the entire rainbow configuration. |
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RC065: An interesting grouping of anthropomorphs, zoomorphs, and a line of circles. |
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RC072: Three interesting figures. |
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RC076: A broad view of one of the side panels. |
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RC078: Here we find a hunter character, again with the enlarged male organs, perhaps portraying the virility of this hunter and his successes against the elusive Desert Big Horn. It looks as if he is carrying an atlatl and spear. |
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RC083: A nice group of older looking figures from one of the side panels. Here we can see a bit of paint applied to a petroglyph. |
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RC102: Another nice collection of various types of figures on one of the side panels. |
| Zoomorphs | |
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RC002: Perhaps a horned snake emerging from a natural crack in the rock. |
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RC056: A zoomorph that looks something like a hippopotamus. |
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RC048: Perhaps a bear. |
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RC011: The Rochester Panel has some of the most interesting and unique representations of animals that we've seen. Here it looks like an alligator-like critter is chasing a wart hog-like beast. |
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RC053: A closer look at the alligator-like critter in RC011. It also looks a bit like a horned dragon. |
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RC055: This is a closer look at the wart hog-like critter from RC011. |
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RC013: An interesting mountain sheep emerging from the spalled off portion of the panel. (I always wonder what we're missing because of the spalling.) What is interesting about this figure are the two vertical marks within the body of the critter. |
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RC057: Another alligator-like zoomorph, similar to the one in RC011 and RC053. This one has sharp spines along its back and it has a solidly pecked body. It appears to be followed by, or attacked by, a trio of small rat or otter-like creatures. |
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RC016: This looks like an owl. |
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RC018: Because of the head, this looks like an owl. But the body doesn't quite fit, and there are no apparent wings, as in RC016. It does have spindly legs and arms, so perhaps it's a spider. |
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RC021: This mountain goat seems to have a long, elephant-like proboscis. |
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RC060: This "push me pull you" is interesting because of the elongated shape of the body and other features. The snout of the right most head is exceptionally long and thin and parted as if it is bleating. This type of configuration may represent a birthing scene. There also appears to be several spears or arrows stuck in the poor creatures back. |
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RC031: Possibly another two headed mountain goat. As mentioned in RC060, this may represent a birth scene. |
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RC038: A pair of elk bucks; one with an extremely large rack. |
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RC039: This image shows what looks like a snake, and perhaps a hedge-hot or porcupine or some similar critter. |
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RC040: This looks like a spider, with exaggerated, elongated legs. |
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RC046: What looks like a group of about five mountain sheep or Desert Big Horn. |
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RC054: A mountain goat emerging from a spalled area of the panel. |
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RC061: This is an unusually long legged zoomorph with a long snout. |
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RC064: This is an interesting petroglyph from one of the side panels. The zoomorph is surrounded by a pecked circle. The creature itself looks like a bloated toad or engorged tick, but it appears to have wings or some sort of feathered appendage. The lower appendages look like paddles. |
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RC067: This looks a bit like a horned snake with legs. See image RC065 for a look at the surrounding panel. |
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RC068: This could be a bird, but it appears to have horns, similar to the horned snakes. See image RC065 for a look at the surrounding panel. |
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RC079: This looks like a bear with its cub. The bear appears to be biting a bull elk on the snout. There is also an anthropomorph to the upper left. |
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RC081: This Desert Big Horn is either eating some sort of plant, or is being held by a small anthropomorphic figure. |
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RC085: This is the zoomorph seen in RC083. At first it looks like a Desert Big Horn, but the horns spread at the end, more like a deer or elk. |
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RC089: This could be a snake. |
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RC094: Maybe this is a beaver, based on the shape of the body and the tail. |
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RC097: The small zoomorph to the left appears to be a mountain goat or a pronghorn. It is hard to tell what the larger figure represents. It looks something like a zoomorph, but may be some sort of graphic image. |
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RC098: This zoomorph could be a canine with long ears, or a Desert Big Horn sheep with a long tail and legs. |
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RC099: This odd little zoomorph looks a bit like a canine with long ears and a curved snout, but also has a bit of the scorpion or a crab in it. |
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RC106: This looks like a Desert Big Horn ram. |
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RC109: This has a spider or other insect look about it. At some later time, someone added a circle to the stomach area, giving the impression of a pregnancy. |
