The Most Graphic Ancient Art in the U.S. You’ve Never Seen 

My dad was admitted to the hospital last night, I immediately showed him your videos to binge. He’s a Coloradan, and historian, we both truly appreciate your effort that you put into every video.

It’s always good to get a new upload because it means you didn’t fall off a cliff.

Speaking as a retired archaeologist, it's archaeology's loss that you did not pursue a career in the field, specialising in rock art among other things (but hey, you still can). Your take on the unfinished warrior holding the severed head is one I would make as well, which is not to say that cannibalism didn't occur there. Rather, this one image is consistent with all the other warrior portraits (and yes, rock art was one of my specialities). The dismemberment interpretation makes it a one-off, and that makes it unlikely (and cultural practices do not always directly correlate with rock panel images). Lastly, the faint upper body above the legs cannot be discounted, which is precisely what you'd need to do to interpret this as dismemberment. Good call.

My brother‘s name was Bob Baumgartner. He lived in Boulder from the 70s to 2015 when he passed away. He was a math teacher who turned into a pottery teacher because he had such a passion for pottery. Also had a passion for hiking. He was one of the first people to make a popular hiking group in the Boulder area called singles hikes and was pretty famous in the area for helping people, find appropriate people to marry by coming into his hiking groups and meeting other people who liked hiking. he never did marry and have his own family. he became a master potter and taught pottery at the boulder pottery guild. Bob passed away on a solo hike that he did near Aspen. He got almost to the top of the peak and had a heart attack and died with his boots on. I’m having a great time watching the hiking videos on RU-vid. I did my share of hiking when I lived in Boulder. I wish my brother could’ve had a chance to make hiking videos, he did a lot of photography, but he never did videos. He was almost the top of Mount Sopris, which has two peaks when he started having chest pains and fell down, died very quickly. He was taken out by helicopter after a couple of girls tried to do CPR. I often think that he found that entertaining . if anybody knew Bob, please let me know here. He had millions of friends. great video. I really enjoyed it so much. Some of the figures almost looked like they were caring shields similar to Viking shields. Makes me wonder if the Vikings ever showed up in this area- they were everywhere else. They carry the shield behind their shoulders like some of these figures did too. It just makes me wonder. I had a really great time watching this. Thank you, Andrew.

How interesting and beautiful. I’m 86 and without your content I would never had the opportunity to see these. Thanks

Thank you for creating such quality content and remaining impartial and objective with your findings. Your calm demeanor, smooth speaking voice, mixture of drone and ground footage, along with your editing techniques draw the viewer in, making us feel we are right there, walking along beside you.

The more you find, the more questions arise. Thanks for taking us along!

I love this guy. Discovered your channel about 2 weeks ago and it's quickly become one of my favorite things in the world

I’m from the Navajo tribe. Too often native Americans are depicted as faultless, nature loving peaceful people who never done any wrong. And the colonizers came over and ruined our lives? I see nothing wrong with ending canabalism. Now we just need to end victimhood among natives!

It's refreshing when someone doesn't shy away from a subject just because it is uncomfortable or unpopular. That being said, I agree that the pictograph in question appears to be an abandoned work in progress, rather than evidence of cannibalism

You handle the topic with sensitivity and dignity. All your films are excellent. This is especially powerful because it is haunting. It reminds me how short and fleeting life is. Thanks from a Colorado woman who loves the southwest.

What stands out to me was that the severed heads all had tears streaming from their eyes… poor people : (

3400 views in three hours. Pretty incredible. Stumbled on the Desert Drifter while getting over a stroke. I binged all of them and have to say this is my favorite RU-vid channel. Cheers!

One thing we know for sure, the jamestown settlers did not depict their cannibalism by carving it into stone for the world to see.

Very thought provoking. But, your videos usually are. I appreciate the respectful and highly reverent way in which you approach these places. Thank you for taking us along with you on another fascinating adventure!

I have enjoyed your channel the most compared to the others I have watched. It's my opinion you display and objective realism when discerning what earlier people have left behind in the desert southwest. I will continue watching and look forward to seeing your next video.

If you want to learn what the symbols mean, get the book "and The Rocks Began To Speak".. The gentleman used personal knowledge of his Native American heritage combined with military decoding techniques. It is amazing, but a very deep read as it forces you to learn so much. These symbols are not just art, they are writing. They were understood by those who saw them centuries later. They were not made to be mysterious, they are information.

I would like to know if any historian explained how one of the warriors depicted on the wall has what looks like a sword in a scabbard slung on his back. That is definitely a very special place

Well done, as usual! I'm a water-traveler, with over 3,000 miles in open boats, and on my Mississippi Voyage, I encountered Hopewell artifacts.

These petroglyphs have got to be the most beautiful I've seen yet in your videos!!! Thank you for taking us there!!

Some of that imagery reminds me of Aztec art. Especially the panel with the severed heads. Between the violence and the jewelry they portray, this could almost be pre-aztec. And with the fall of the Fremont coinciding with the rise of the Aztec...

Andrew, I want to say how fortunate I feel all your subscribers are to have access to viewing your all your videos and especially this one. The sheer amount of rock art at this location is just astonishing, let alone the subject matter of so much of it. I'm ever so grateful to the landowners for allowing you to film on this property. Please let them know that Susan from Washington state offers her sincere thanks.

As another poster here has said, according to Navaho tradition, (on RU-vid if that is reliable), the Anasazi were a violent people who migrated into the area with traditions of violence, sacrifice and cannibalism who ruled by instilling fear into the indigenous peoples. It was said to have been a very dark violent time. Eventually all the tribes of the area banded together and wiped every one of them out. According to research, they think the Anasazi migrated up from South America and were most likely a split off of the Mayans or Aztecs. The whole story is available on RU-vid.

I've heard a few echo my best guess- the glyphs are HUGE, facing west, and in their time- graphic. they were meant to be seen. They were meant to scare off invaders, which there were a lot of back then. Other Fremont sites show very civilized culture. And it doesn't make sense to me that if you're starving, instead of foraging for food, you instead opt to make 1300 billboards displaying that you're starving. I think it's a giant KEEP OUT sign. But i love everyone's theories, and the i love the fact that we will never know. Great video.

You knocked another one out of the park with this video. Excellent thumbnail title and presentation. Very interesting!

Great video 2x👍 It was nice to see you and Evelyn out with another youtuber climbing the HUGE cube.

Colorado here, thanks so much for sharing your adventures 🧡

Yes, human heads detached from a body and those being carried are depictions of flayed heads, After decapitation, the head would be flayed i.e. the skin removed, stuffed with plants, dried, painted, and carried as a war trophy. There are examples of this practice that have been discovered by archaeologists in the southwest and in museum collections although they are not on public display. It's not just a Fremont thing, I have seen these flayed head images in ancestral puebloan rock art sites in central Arizona. This is one of your best videos treating a controversial topic with sensitivity. Christy Turner's book is a good reference but you might want to take a look at Steven LeBlanc's books, "Prehistoric Warfare in the American Southwest" and "Deadly Landscapes: Case Studies in Southwestern Warfare".

WTF? One of those 3 kings appears to have a sword on his back and another appears to have a beard.

Knocked it out of the park again Andrew! I'm so grateful to have stumbled across your channel. I'm really digging your Gear List. I poked around to find that white paper you cited and would really like to read it, but it's hidden behind a pay wall. Thanks again for taking us along on our adventures!

Thank you for documenting these for us all to see & enjoy, and to pass down for others to witness

Makes you wonder what’s on the other side of some of the stones that broke off… or if they broke off before the drawing was done…

I so look forward to your installments. I've watched other RU-vid exploration type videos and yours are by far the best. Your respect for what you find, the land you traverse and the relatable history you present, makes you the best in my eyes! Continue doing what you do and how you do it. God bless and protect you.

It's nice to listen to your descriptions of all the petroglyphs and asking the very same questions. I really might never know. These little trips you make give me joy because I don't get out of the house. You're informed about what you are talking about and all of the peoples who lived in this area. I don't watch a lot of videos anymore but I thought I'd stop in and see what you've been doing. Thanks for all the wonders!

I tune in when I want to join along on a peaceful journey! Your delivery is calm, measured, contemplative, and informative. Like listening to an old friend. Thank you!

Mr. Drifter, Thank you for the remarkable video. Your depictions and analyses are layered, and all the parts strike a unified and coherent tone. Really a great job.

Oh wow! What an amazing adventure you shared this time!!! Like so many other ancient cultures, they were recording the history of their daily lives. I was amazed by how intricate and detailed the petroglyphs were, and their tremendous size! Many were much like other sites you've shown us, but there were many that were extremely unique. The enormity of what they were depicting hit me when you zoomed in on the heads...and they had tears streaming down their faces. Not one or two tears...streams. I went from objective, intellectual curiosity and interest to emotional reaction and profound sadness. That just got me. Thank you for the video, the interesting information, and the great videography. I had never heard of the Fremont tribe, and certainly would never been able to see their art in person. Drift on, Andrew!

So many strange petroglyphs, so many questions. Thanks for an excellent video!!

I’m a 25 year old MMA fighter from the UK and I’ve been back through and watched all your vids, completely fascinating and hope to come out one day

Thank you, Desert Drifter , for doing all the work - and then sharing the beauty and surprise of your experiences. Your editing is meticulous and very talented. You have chosen an area and time period that holds fascination for a rather large audience. We, who appreciate your work, salute you, ... and anxiously await your next release ! I am especially aware of the spirals that appeared in this video. Their meaning and purpose stimulate my imagination . AGAIN, THANK YOU .

To me the figures feel like maybe depictions of some strange people who came and terrorized the locals and then moved one and those left made the art as a sort of memorial and also a warning to future generations.

This is not a value judgment, but there is a distinction between cannibalism in times of desperation and cannibalism that is an accepted part of a society's culture. The Aztecs, for example, engaged in human sacrifice and "cannibalism" as ritual. I'm with you on the petroglyph at issue being unfinished, but without a way to fully decipher what the art left behind by these people was intended to convey we'll likely never know what any of it truly "meant." You're doing some really great work with these videos. I really appreciate how thoughtful you are about the artifacts and art left behind by the peoples you're studying.

Thank you so much for bringing this history to us from different regions.

As a Chicano from LA that considers himself an Indigenous person, I appreciate your approach and your respect for the subject matter. Keep up the great work!

Andrew hi from Alberta, Canada. All of your episodes are amazing but this one is VERY special it just blew me away had to watch it twice. Your video, impartial but factual commentary and the possibilities left me with much to think about.. This site is so prolific it defies todays brain to take in quite obviously much more than just rock art. Utah is approx 1200 miles south from The Badlands, Writing On Stone. Kananaskis Country and Dinosaur Provincial Parks and Historical Sites of Southern Alberta, Canada (Montana Border) where I wander. There exists rock art (not nearly as prolific as Utah) drawn, painted and carved into sandstone by the Indigenous tribes and contain many similarities. Enjoy your channel very much, thanks.

❤astronomical connections are everywhere; everything the local people saw in the sky (supernovas, regular comets, stray comets, meteors, meteorites, falling stars…) was diligently recorded. ❤Thank you for your video

My wife and I wondered: Could this be what happened to them and not what they did? Maybe it was an Aztec army moving northward and looking for more lands/people to conquer? Perhaps this is why so many of the South Western Natives made their homes up on the sides of cliffs with difficult access? Perhaps this would explain the hiding on cliff sides and the sudden disappearance of some tribes? Aztec expansion could explain this fairly well.

I’ve been watching your videos quite a while now and today I decided that I wanted to subscribe. It’s like going back to school in History class, very interesting and enjoyable to watch and learn about Ancient History.

I always love your videos. I think the one thing that sets yours apart from others is your wonderful narrations. You explain with much detail what you are capturing in your videos. That really helps for me to fully experience what your seeing. It's almost like I'm there with you. Keep up the great work, stay safe out there, and THANKS !!!

The question that occurs to me is "Are they depicting something they are doing to others or what others are doing to them?"

the figure at 10:30 in, has what looks to be very refined facial hair and a beard which I don't recall seeing on any previous images you've shown us.

The skill of some of those drawings is insane! I notice the vast array of head dress styles. Brilliant video

This is wonderful, thanks for letting me tag along just seeing all this thru your eyes at my age is Great !

Lots of additional images around the 3 Kings. Great video and narration 🔥

Andrew - what a summer you've had! One incredible outing after another. Thanks so much for taking us along. 🙏

Thanks for sharing another adventure in archaeology. Your work is outstanding.

Egyptian was the first thing that came to my mind when I looked at these rock pictures. Thank You for sharing them with us, as well as some of the ancient history. Keep on drifting, videoing, and sharing. These sites are priceless.

a couple of weeks ago i was traveling west of grand junction on 70 heading to moab and im pretty sure you passed me heading in the same direction i thought it was you anyway i thought it was pretty cool to reconize you as i told my wife we had been traveling from northern minnesota love your channel

Awesome video Andrew !! Thanks so much for sharing. So many questions arise as we encounter images from the past, so much to take in…

The "Cannibalistic" depiction appears to me to be just a piece of art that didn't get finished for whatever reason. As you stated, these are so intricate, they must have taken a while to complete. Anything could have happened that kept the artist from completing the panel. EDIT: I just also would like to add that your videos are the only ones I don't have to keep continuously messing with the volume. So many RU-vid content creators don't take things like that into account. The tone of your voice is level and calm. You're just always such a pleasure to watch and listen to. And you are so knowledgeable Thank you for what you do. You bring so much to all of those who watch. Yours is one of my favorite channels.

You have created a really involved and interested group of subscribers. Everyone is thoughtful and appreciative. Nice Work!

I believe that you are correct about the so-called cannibal panel. It does look similar to the warriors who are holding their enemies heads. I also noticed the one that looks like a coil, those have some unknown significance and they are seen all over the world. Thank you for showing us what some of us may never get to see in person. God bless

Hmm, Navajo legend where the Anasazi, enslaved them, the people hid in the mountains and the warriors, eliminated them? As the belief states you cannot have peace with contention..so I heard.

Years ago, I saw a documentary regarding the man who wrote the book about the corn. He did prove that cannibalism occurred among the Pueblo people. However, I think he concluded that the cannibalism was done by outsiders. He had traced the type of corn remnants that were found and concluded that they had appeared suddenly during that time. He also said, however, that the same corn was native to the Azteca and Maya. By looking at the corn and other vegetation, there was a prolonged drought that drove them north looking for food. I don't know how much validity his votes have, but it seemed to make sense to me. The problem with archeology is that as soon as someone has a theory, someone else contradicts it, so it's hard to know who to believe.

As always another great adventure. Thanks

I notice the warriors were using what look like wooden clubs with obsidian blades embedded in them? I can't think of very many North American tribes who used that particular style of warclub. But I can think of several Central American tribes that used them. Including the Aztecs, who supposedly migrated from out of the north, moving south into central Mexico. I wonder?

Another great experience! Thanks for documenting and sharing

Well, I'm completely jealous of you getting to visit that site. Totally glad you got all the video you did and shared it with us.

Hey Andrew and Evelyn!! There is just something magical about seeing that up close and in person. Some of the artwork is so detailed and other is very child like. Enjoyed the video! Thanks for taking us along! ❤️💜💚

You sure know how to present the things you find in all your adventures. I've been to both the Grand Gallery in Horseshoe Canyon and the Harvest Scene in the Maze District of Canyonlands. Each are the largest I've scene, but they appear to pale in comparison to these. I've heard of many others in private areas, but never considered trying to get permission to see them. This was something I really enjoyed vicariously through you. Thanks for taking all of us along.

I have never denied the brutality of my ancestors. They did some pretty nasty stuff from time to time. I don't know why the indigenous peoples here claim to be eternally peaceful.

what is wrong with people!! i could pull all my hairs out when i saw engraved cataloging numbers on some of these images. somebody would rather ruin the site itself to put identifying numbers under each image as opposed to taking the image and marking the photo itself. what an absolute atrocity. i can only pray whoever did that learned from it and is not still doing it. holy crap. and love your stuff bro!! keep it up!

What if, instead of showing themselves as victorious warriors, it was created by survivors who made it to that area and documented their journey of being attacked?

Very unique! Always interesting to go along with you on your journeys through the southwest.

Mr. Drifter , I know this video was tough for you to pull together but every cliff dwelling you have visited had to lead to this point . I always imagined that some extreme threat pushed those dwellers into the difficult to reach fortified places . Perhaps a period of extreme drought . Cannibalism was also found in Chaco Canyon . It is interesting to note the tears on the faces of the severed heads . Extreme measures in extreme times . Fantastic video ! Thanks so much .

"The Case of the Tuquoise Sun" is an awesome book by Ev Cochrane with some very insightful ideas about global rockart.

Cowboy Wash along the San Juan River in Utah, human remains were unearthed showing knife cuts on the bones, indicating human butchering 1,000 years ago...

Thanks for sharing. Great presentation.

This has been the most interesting videos you have produced, so much there and your videos are doing an excellent job in preserving them in History!

I grew up sad with the thinking that the Indiana Jones days were over. Turns out, every rock in our own backyard requires a second look!

What will be left of our culture after a few thousand of years? ... A lot of glass sand and poisoned soils? ...

Very cool spot. I noticed there’s very little modern day additions to the panels. I’m happy there are such places still. Thanks for sharing. I always enjoy your videos.

Christy’s work and then the massive archeological work in the Roosevelt/Tonto Basin for the lake expansion 1980’s and 90’s, show that ritual dismemberment was a part of warfare. I won’t go into detail here but worth a read.

Amazing artwork. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

I love your channel. I’m a Utah native who has explored Utah and Colorado, so I recognize many (but by no means all) of the areas you visit. I appreciate the insight and respect you show to the sites, and people. I’d really like to see you look at the sites above Willard Bay. Keep up the good work!

This reminds me of the Mayans and Aztecs... Very interesting.... Especially with their attire and headdress on the drawings. Very striking.

I just noticed that the warrior at 16:59 has what appears to be a relatively modern looking sword. Did they have those types of weapons in this area back then or is this something different that just kinda looks like a sword?

Thank you for showing us your explorations...from MN

Another great one! Thanks Andrew 😊

The images of the tears, tells me that they may have been merciful deaths, maybe because of famine? Idk, but a lot of the depictions show tears, even in the adults…

Andrew. Love the show. Just finished watching the episode about the cannibals in the basin. Just a thought, I wonder if there is a connection to chaco canyon. Just a thought. Keep up the good work.

At 6:45, to the right of the figure, follow that black crack all the way down. When you get to the bottom, look to the left of the crack. It looks to me like a huge square opening that has had mud flow out of it, sealing it. Anyone else see it? Love your work!

What I find fascinating is that the "severed head" depictions show abnormally long necks/spines (?). Especially since this style of art lacks necks.

I just got back from looking at hundreds of petroglyphs in northern NM. These are so much more elaborate. Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

This was a wild watch and perhaps a different viewing experience than what I am used to when watching your videos. I have my theories but like you, I tread lightly on them. As someone who has done your same style of exploring (minus the camera gear), witnessing what I guess are "normal" petroglyphs now after watching this video, I am just pretty speechless man... there is a lot of weight to that art.. With or without commentary or historical context, you can't help but feel the weight of what your eyes and brain are observing, analyzing, and the introspection that follows.. Nice work Andrew.

Both Hopi and Zuni cultures have verbal history that may assist you in understanding the history in front of you. Thanks for the video.

Very interesting and beautiful scenery 🧗‍♂️thanks for your videos. I like them a lot😊

Thank you for taking us along. Very interesting!!! I really love your videos! When I was doing explorations, years ago, Park rangers did tell me that there was evidence of cannibalism in the Southwest. It was a taboo topic then and told to me in hushed tones. There were hints of it everywhere to me, even if I had not been told. The panel’s you showed us definitely depicts it. There were great droughts in the Southwest, where I could see desperate people resorting to cannibalism. The droughts were long and severe. Any group of people when faced with severe environmental conditions have eventually resorted to cannibalism. It’s a tough call, but it is survival. There are also reports of Aztec that came into the area and brought their practice of human sacrifice with them. To add: an anthropologist I was conversing with said that he thought Aztecs originated from North Anerica and then migrated down. I think it was the other way around. Thank you for the book reference. I plan to check it out! Thank you again! 👍👍👍👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😀💕🌸🍀

Amazing petroglyphs! Great presentation DD! I think many sites might have been abandoned from over-farming. Crop rotation and/or fertilizing the soil was not known or practiced by many indigenous folks. Crops like corn and squash might become less nutritious as a result of continual farming in the same places which would also affect the health of the people there. Many Mesoamerican sites such as the Mayan city states in the Yucatan and even the Cahokia site in Illinois were abandoned in the 13th and 14th century. Crop failure and attacks from other groups moving into their area would account for the mass exodus from many of these places. The 7 foot tall petroglyph did make me think of ancient Egyptian depictions.

Desert drifter is quickly becoming one of my favorite content shows