Sego Canyon Cave Paintings

By Devon Washington

Figures are depicted surrounding an otherworldly Holy Man

Sego Canyon Cave paintings are a group of hundreds of human-like figures suggested to depict ancient astronauts or extraterrestrials that once visited the Earth when the multiple Native American tribes lived in this area. Multiple type of rock art can be seen from multiple tribes that lived and passed through these lands.

Background

History of Sego

Sego Utah started off in the early 1890s as farmer Harry Ballard discovered coal on the lands next to his ranch. He then began purchasing this land to begin small scale coal mining operations that eventually rose to a small community named Ballard, after the owner.

Sego,Utah 1920

Ballard’s property was eventually bought out and the American Fuel Company began to develop the area in 1911 with plans for long-term coal production. Over time the company was plagued with water system problems, low profits, power supply issues and overall financial problems. At some points, there was no money to pay the miners, they were given scripts to spend at the company store.The miners soon reorganized in 1933 under the United Mine Workers to finally secure regular pay. Then in 1947 the mine was ordered closed and the remaining 27 miners bought the property.

In 1949 a fire swept the site, drastically decreasing productions. Then when diesel engines mostly replaced coal powered steam engines the company came to a halt. After this, the shareholders sold all their stakes in this land to a company from Texas whose main interest in the land was more for natural gas and oil. Sego then became a ghost town after its final revenge by treasure hunters in 1973.

Fremont Tribe

From approximately 600-1250 A.D. the Sego Canyon was occupied by the Fremont Native Tribe. Named after the Fremont river and valley were most of their site were discovered, the Fremont tribe was one closely tied to nature with their hunting, gathering, and farming lifestyle. They lived in pit houses, created pottery and rock art that is distinguishable by the rectangular or trapezoidal bodies and small heads. They are quite different as their lifestyle is more sedentary than that of most other tribes. The Fremont tribe culture has all but disappeared and many changes that occured are to blame. Due to the climate, farming conditions had changed dramatically forcing groups to forage for food from the land and, as new settlers migrated the Fremont tribe slowly vanished.

Barrier Canyon

The Barrier Canyon rock art was created by the Archaic people around 6000 B.C.-100 B.C. consisting of large manlike forms. Often these forms were missing legs or arms, had hollowed eyes, wore antennae-like earrings, and carried snakes. Figures like these may depict the ritualistic activities that took place amongst these people. Mainly, the Barrier Canyon style was composed of three type of figures: the spirit figure, the citizen, and the composite figure. The spirit figure is often the figure depicted with no arms or legs and large oversized eyes. Occasionally they also had horns or antennae with a 'water/life-giving symbol' torso, meaning they were often drawn with parallel lines, lines of dots, zig zag lines, and snake images. The spirit images were also some of the tallest figures, with one estimated at around nine feet! The citizen figures are rather small in comparison, usually no more than six inches in active postures. The composite figures were not represented as much but tended to be a combination of animal parts. They varied from snake bodies with sheep heads and bird's feet, sheep torsos with canine heads and human arms and so on.

Ute Tribe

From approximately 1300 A.D. –1880 A.D. the Ute Native tribe occupied the Sego Canyon area until being forced to live on reservations in 1880. The Ute tribe rock art can be identified by the horse riding figures, as horses weren’t introduced until the 16th century by the Spanish. The Mormon settlers also introduced agriculture which changed their way of life. Some areas of the tribe rejected farming, opposing settling down in one place. Today the Ute people are a have diverse income resources and their own government.

Religion

Although the Ute tribe did not have a formal religion they believed there was power and knowledge to be obtained from dreams, visions, or mythical beings. They often depicted animals, especially wolves, in their artwork as having human-like forms or traits. They also believed in the power Shamans held to heal through their dreams. Their dreams would show them visions and the treatments were through dance, song or paraphernalia.

Anasazi Tribe

The Anasazi tribe occupied the land as early as 1500 B.C. building villages from mud and stone and miles of road. They scaled the cliffs to build some of the magnificent structures, some 5 stories high. As many as 30,000 lived there at one time creating the petroglyphs and beautiful pottery.The Anasazi tribe has survived a great deal, from warfare that caused some cannibalistic periods, to assaults from spanish colonizers. Still the Anasazi tribe has survived one generation after another, today they are descendants of the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico and the Hopi villages in Arizona.

Chaco Canyon

Pseudo-archaeological Narrative

The ancient astronaut theory attached to this site suggests that extraterrestrials visited the Earth and the rock art figures are evidence, claiming the larger odd figures with hollowed eyes or triangular heads cannot possibly be human.

This narrative does not account for the spiritual component at the root of Native American art. If these theories were true we would see more depictions of it rather than unclear, possible unearthly, forms. Native Americans were highly religious and believed in expressing their religious experiences through art.

Star People

One folklore found in the tribes Native to what is now Montana is of the Star People. These claims are also based on the artwork, unusual figures appearing to possibly not be human. Even elders of the Lakota and Zuni tribe recall legends of people praying and speaking to 'beings from space'.

Some tribes, like the Hopi and Cree, are said to be born from the stars as spirits, then descended upon Earth and became human beings.

Some individuals on the other hand, do not recall any legends saying such things about the Star people. Some claim these stories are new and influenced by modern day alien propaganda.

Debunking the Pseudo-archaeological Claims

Shamanism

Shamanism among Native cultures is quite common. Shamins are persons skilled in the assistance of multiple spirits, including animals. Through trance and symbolic death they have abilities allowing them to travel to celestial realms in order to communicate with higher powers. All things, plants, animals and people, are seen as equal and able to assume one anothers' forms. Shamins of most all tribes and communities communicate their experiences through art to validate the supernatural journey they went through.

Conclusion

While some can believe that the Sego Canyon rock art is evidence of ancient aliens and astronauts, cultural aspects and beliefs of the communities that once lived there disprove this narrative. Native shamans more than likely created these works of art to explain their visions and religious journeys. This type of religious practice was common to Native cultures and this should be well known to archaeologists. As a part of human history, Native American culture should be a topic which vast amounts of information are accessible, especially to an archaeologist. Choosing to ignore part of their culture to fit the extraterrestrial agenda, more than likely for profit, is racist and unscientific. This proves that claims of Native art depicting aliens or ancient astronauts are pure pseudoarchaeological.