Rock Art Research

Authentic petroglyph portrayals of Columbian mammoths and a possible bison at the Upper Sand Island rock art site along the San Juan River in south-eastern Utah in the United States are described and illustrated. Evidence is presented supporting their authenticity, including rock varnish and wear observations and comparisons to nearby Puebloan and Historic period petroglyphs, depiction of anatomical details not commonly known to the public, depiction of relatively small tusks (which differs from typical public perceptions), and the presence of accompanying motifs produced in a similar previously unknown style. The most likely dating of the motifs is between 13 000 and 11 000 years bp.