Barrier Canyon (Horseshoe Canyon)
USA · Americas
The Great Gallery's hollow-eyed ghost figures are among the most haunting images in all rock art
Age
~2,000–8,000 yrs
Period
Archaic Period
Setting
Rock shelter
Art form
Paintings
Discovered
1928
Status
Open to Visitors
Located in the Utah desert, Barrier Canyon style paintings are among the most haunting images in North American rock art — tall, tapering, armless anthropomorphic figures with hollow eyes and eerie presence, painted in deep red and purple. The Great Gallery is a 60-metre panel of these ghost figures, and their meaning has never been satisfactorily explained.
Gallery
Notable Features
- ◦ Great Gallery — 60m panel
- ◦ Tapering ghost figures
- ◦ Hollow-eyed anthropomorphs
Depicted Subjects
Ghost Figures (Anthropomorphs)DogsBirdsAbstract Shapes
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.