About Courthouse Wash Pictographs
Historic, Archaeology, Interesting Places, Other Archaeological Sites
The Courthouse Wash Pictographs are a series of large pictographs created over a long period of time, located on a sheltered sandstone wall in Arches National Park, Utah. The series of images depict a variety of figures, many of them anthropomorphic and measuring up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in height. The Courthouse wash site is located near the junction of Courthouse Wash with the Colorado River, extending over a 100-meter section of cliff base. The pictographs include painted figures resembling those found in Horseshoe Canyon in Canyonlands National Park, 35 miles (56 km) to the west. Other figures, including those of animals, have been incised by removal of the rock's covering of desert varnish. The painted figures follow the Barrier Canyon Style and are believed to be between 1500 and 4000 years old. The incised figures are attributed to the Fremont culture and are dated to about 1000-1200 AD. Figures mounted on horseback were created in historical times since the 16th century introduction of horses and are attributed to Navajo or Ute artists.
