Cañon Pintado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cañon Pintado
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Kokopelli, a flute-playing figure common in the Ancestral Puebloan art of the Southwest, at Cañon Pintado about 850-1100 AD
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| Nearest city | Rangely |
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| NRHP reference No. | 75000538 |
| Added to NRHP | 1975 |
Cañon Pintado means "painted canyon." It's an amazing archaeological site in Colorado where you can see ancient rock art made by Native Americans. This special place is about 10.5 miles (16.9 km) south of Rangely in Rio Blanco County, Colorado.
In 1776, a group of Spanish missionaries, called the Domínguez–Escalante expedition, traveled through this area. They were looking for a route to California. Ute guides helped them find their way. When these Europeans saw the colorful rock art, they named the area Cañon Pintado, which means "painted canyon."
Ancient Rock Art at Cañon Pintado
The incredible rock art you see at Cañon Pintado was likely created by two main groups of people. The first were the Fremont culture people, who lived here from about 650 AD to 1150 AD. Later, the Ute also made art here, from about 1200 AD to 1881 AD.
Scientists are still working to understand the exact meaning of all the paintings. However, they believe the art was made to mark important events or for religious reasons. It's like a historical record or a spiritual message left on the rocks!
The Fremont people were skilled builders and farmers. They created villages in the valleys. They also built watchtowers on high points to keep an eye on their surroundings. In hidden spots on the cliffs, they made cisterns to store water. They also built granaries to keep their corn and seeds safe. You can even find Petroglyphs (rock carvings) of corn stalks at some of these sites.
After the Fremont people, the Ute people used this area for hunting and living in the valleys. They stayed here until 1881, when they moved to a reservation.
You can easily visit many rock art sites just south of Rangely along Colorado Highway 139. There are also thousands of other well-preserved sites nearby on County Road 23 and County Road 65.
What is the Sun Dagger Site?
Some of the rock carvings at Cañon Pintado might have a special connection to the sky! Scientists think certain petroglyphs could be important for astronomy. This means they might have been used to track the sun's position, like during the winter or summer solstice. More research is needed to confirm these ideas.
Other Historic Places Nearby
There are other important prehistoric sites close to Cañon Pintado. These are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. All of them are ancient Fremont culture sites:
- Collage Shelter Site - This site dates back to between 500 and 1499 AD.
- Carrot Men Pictograph Site - This site also dates from 500 to 1499 AD.
- Fremont Lookout Fortification Site - This site is from between 0 and 1499 AD.
