Utah’s Prehistoric Indians

Utah Studies

Mr. Bailey

Chapter 3

Hunter Gatherers across the USA• Did not have a permanent home –

followed herds of animals across country• Paleo-Indians

– Most primitive (not technologically advanced) Indians to live in Utah.

– We would call them “Cave Men”- Gathered seeds, nuts, and berries.

Members of the Utah Statewide Archaeological Survey pose for a photo outside Danger Cave

An artist’s rendering of the Paleo-Indians

A modern tour inside the cave

An early excavation of Hogup Cave in 1957, before it was vandalized in 1970.

Hunter Gatherers across the USA (continued)

• Archaic Indians – “Desert Gatherers”– More advanced than Paleo-Indians– Lived in caves during the winter– Lived in wicki-ups near the marshes during the summer

• Wicki-up - a temporary house made of branches and leaves.

– Used a tool called an atlatl to throw

spears better.

Anasazi

• Lived in Four Corners area• Knew how to farm and

used bow and arrow• Used irrigation for some

crops (corn, beans, squash, and even cotton.)

• Lived mainly in pueblos (sometimes on cliffs)

Fremont Indians• Fremont Indians were

contemporaries of the Anasazi (they lived at the same time) and acted friendly with the Anasazi.

• Lived in pit houses• Some Fremont were full-

time farmers while others would switch between farming and hunting and gathering.

• Also irrigated their crops

Mr. Bailey’s Visit to Dinosaur National Monument

Mr. Bailey’s Visit to Dinosaur National

Monument

These are the first petroglyphs you see as you go on the driving tour, not far at all from the parking lot where you ride the tram to see the dinosaur bones.

The Fremont people created these drawings about 10,000 years ago by scraping the natural dark colored stain off the rock surface with sharp tools. While some of the figures such as the people and animals are easily recognizable, no one knows what all the pictures really mean.

Mr. Bailey’s Visit to Dinosaur National Monument – 2nd Group

Mr. Bailey’s Visit to Dinosaur National Monument 2nd Group

Mr. Bailey’s Visit to Dinosaur National Monument 2nd Group

Mr. Bailey’s Visit to Dinosaur National

Monument

This is the third group of petroglyphs, the longest walk from the road. From the road you can only see about three lizard drawings and the flute player, but if you hike to the rock wall you can walk right up to the cliff and see a whole lot more.

Mr. Bailey’s Visit to Dinosaur National

Monument

Mr. Bailey’s Visit to Dinosaur National Monument

Mr. Bailey’s Visit to Dinosaur National Monument

Disappearance of Ancient Indians

• Both the Fremont and the Anasazi simply left their settlements after 1000 A.D.

• Indians in Utah returned to a hunter/gatherer lifestyle with temporary houses (like wicki-ups.)

• We don’t know exactly why they left. (invaders, climate change, erosion problems, drought, or did they just migrate away?)