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Find Colo. History Lessons On Vogel Canyon's Walls

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May 18, 2008 5:09 pm US/Mountain

Find Colo. History Lessons On Vogel Canyon's Walls

Reporting
Doug Whitehead
LA JUNTA, Colo. (CBS4) ― Southeast Colorado offers a treasure trove of surprises including Vogel Canyon south of La Junta.

It is a dry, unforgiving landscape, but humans and animals have thrived in the region for millennia, thanks to springs in the area.

"Maybe 20 different springs (are) in this area, so even in the very driest times, we've had a little bit of water in the ponds," said Michelle Stevens, an archaeologist in the Comanache National Grassland.

That's why Vogel Canyon has offered an oasis in the heart of the hot, dry prairie.

"Vogel Canyon has a number of rock shelters," said Stevens, "all up and down the canyon walls and these would've been excellent places to get out of the heat, get out of the wind and just generally get some protection from the harsh elements."

And in that oasis are signs of prehistoric hunters, humans who left their marks in a canyon once filled with herds of elk, deer, bison and antelope.

Some of the symbols are easy to interpret, like the abstract dragonfly which gives it name to Dragonfly Rock Shelter, or a clear drawing of a human. Others are less distinct, like a drawing composed of parallel, crossed lines.

"It's an abstract design; we don't really know what it means but many people have suggested that perhaps this is a net that is showing a method that they may have used prehistorically for hunting in this area," Stevens said. "But like all abstract art, it's open to interpretation."

"What it does give us is a little insight into the minds of what prehistoric folks might have been thinking or doing here."

Many of the images carved on high rocks are now hard to see, but when they were first created they would have been very visible throughout the canyon.

"Anybody walking in Vogel Canyon could have looked up and easily seen that these rock art images are there."

Today the focus is on making sure the artwork does not deteriorate any more.

"This art has been here, in some cases, for thousands of years. In other cases just hundreds of years. It's irreplaceable," Stevens said. "Once it's damaged, we can't get that back. Once it's gone, it's gone and that's why it's so important to preserve it."

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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