I Examine the Most Graphic Ancient Art You’ve Never Seen

[@CaitlynGraham-po4ef]

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.

[@gazmasonik2411]

Birmingham UK here, hope your dad's well soon.

[@Liam1992]

Using your dad going into hospital to beg for likes is pathetic lmao 😂 nobody cares about your dad 😂😂

[@leopardwoman38]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@ms.donaldson2533]

I hope you father gets better. It is always great to see someone using natural positive energy to heal someone. 🥰

[@jackofnone9439]

Prayers for your father...may he get well soon.✝✝✝

[@JohnMack-f3f]

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

[@gardengirl6799]

Lol. I worry for him sometimes too.

[@Desert.Drifter]

Haha, still hanging in there 😉

[@bettysbayith425]

He's one of them there Cliff Dwellers

[@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394]

Didn't fall off a cliff, or get abducted by aliens. Or get shrink-rayed by an evil scientist.

[@imhere653]

True dat! They sure built some very tall ladders to make those.

[@williamfulbright9288]

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

[@tinyhouseranch]

Ill be 50 in 12 hours. Seeing your age i pray i get anywhere close. Many more birthdays for you 86 💙

[@jeanlawson9133]

I'll be 60 in October... Thank God every day....God be with you young fella of 86...

[@mattpipes5106]

It’s so epic in scale… I wonder if it was meant as a depiction of a great battle, or to illustrate a mythological tale… and if it was finished or unfinished. Thank you for making the video!

[@debrajabs9523]

Thank you for taking me with to this fabulous place. I lost my husband of 31 years to cancer in August. Years ago we used to explore in Colorado. I live in AZ and wish I was in shape enough to do these trips. You are a blessing to me.

[@Grateful_Dad_54]

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

[@mitziwhitworth4434]

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.

[@Desert.Drifter]

Thanks. I tried to present enough that people can do further research and come to their own conclusions

[@alanniederlitz8630]

HERE HERE, BRAVO SIR!!! BRAVO!

[@user-iv7pl2uo7q]

What's surprising about cannibalism?? Americans practice it every day via the sanctity of Unrestricted Capitalism.

[@user-iv7pl2uo7q]

What surprising about cannibalism?? Americans practice it every day via the sanctity of Unrestricted Capitalism.

[@PeachysMom]

@@Desert.Drifterthat’s exactly the way to do it! Give people the tools to research on their own. It shows you have respect for your audience. Great video!

[@brettbigham8420]

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 KZbin channel. Cheers!

[@Desert.Drifter]

Hope you’re doing well in your recovery Brett. Evelyn works with a lot of stroke patients

[@0tt0z]

All the best. Hope your recovery is swift.

[@windfeather.noodiinmiigwan5131]

Hope you are recovering fine

[@harrywalker968]

@@Desert.Drifter 0:25.. 6 fingers.. giants. hybrids. made genetically..as we were..

[@aeneas-sails]

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.

[@westcoastislander6699]

We have seen quite a bit of rock art in our travels. What struck me about these figures is how deeply incised many of the lines and details are. The eyes and mouths of many are literally gouged out lending them a much more 3D effect which I don't think I ever noted on previous rock art we have encountered. Also of note is the almost "American Man" looking shield on the "Kings" panel. Thought-provoking for sure. Thanks for this!

[@susanfox-mx3nv]

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.

[@birdeagle3747]

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

[@jackofnone9439]

Right??!! As soon as we see that he uploaded a video, we drop what we're doing and click on Desert Drifter!!! Always entertaining, fascinating, and educational. A while ago, just by chance, we clicked on what looked like an interesting video, and it just happened to be Andrew's very first video. We haven't missed one yet!!!

[@rogergriffin9893]

I saw the documentary about Chaco canyon where an archeologist found pretty convincing proof of someone cooking and eating humans. But I do think whoever did it was most likely a hunter/gatherer tribe from outside of the area. During the severe drought that happened there, they might have been violent enough to prey on the peaceful agriculturalists they encountered on their migration through the area.

[@jackofnone9439]

@@rogergriffin9893 I watched a documentary where they found human copralites somewhere in the American Southwest. After a microscopic analysis of the fossilized (or petrafied) human feces, they determined that someone had been eating human flesh. Kinda creepy, huh?

[@dennisestenson7820]

Same

[@SM-pv8xx]

I just discovered him too! I immediately subscribed.

[@stevelundin5705]

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.

[@Ronin--vo1cn]

Aye...but what culture did take heads at that time for trophy's sir!? And that's what's being shown that those people was horrible and would take your head

[@TheNacho1717]

Thank all the marxist liberals who intentionally sabotage young white men’s lives.

[@QSB55]

I want to learn and study rock art more, but other than a Google search I haven't made much headway. Could you give me a couple of resources or starting points to read and study rock art? I'd appreciate someone with your expertise chiming in rather than a Google rabbit hole I know I'll fall into again

[@LulaD]

An interesting image about 18:03 shows a warrior with bigfeet and what looks like a sword on his back. I didn't think swords were part of this culture

[@Creekstain]

​@@QSB55look into portable rock art. It's fascinating. Denied by archeology but there are too many of us finding the same depictions globally to deny it. Actually, it's only denied in north america. There is your first red flag that we are not being told the truth. I show what the stones are on my channel if you want the real truth.

[@DannoM_]

That highly detailed art you pointed out that was way up high and impossible to reach has me fascinated. How did they get up there to carve that? Was the rock different back then and maybe it was possible to walk on a ledge perhaps? Also the detail on some of the art is still intact so well, that I'm surprised it's not more eroded from the weather over hundreds of years. Either way, I'm glad it's being preserved. Great documenting of this history!

[@beowoofthemoviestar]

That spot you found about minute 13 was amazing, one after another. I cannot hike anymore, so really enjoy your uploads.

[@MikeMatlock-i6v]

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.

[@Desert.Drifter]

Thanks Mike!

[@tsakurshovi6676]

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".

[@georgedunkelberg5004]

A-FEARD OF LIBRARIES? PAPYRUS PICTOGRAPHS? HUMAN EVOLUTION OF THE GOLD-RUSH DONNERS' (DINNER) PARTIES OF PRE AIRLINED MOUNTAIN AIR CRASHES AND SURVIVALS? READ EMILY St. JOHN MANDEL'S "STATION ELEVEN", "BECAUSE SURVIVAL IS INSUFFICIENT."

[@Desert.Drifter]

Thanks for the book recs, I will keep them in mind!

[@megank7902]

I wondered if they had conflicts with people coming from the West. It would be a pretty good "You've been warned" sign and would make me think twice about going further.

[@JPRyan816]

​@@megank7902 I think more likely the north. I won't type the whole thing again, but I left a comment explaining that 1300 was right around the time of the little ice age. Northern tribes may have been pushing south.

[@teresahasopinions2329]

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!

[@chippywarren9706]

Very nice you allow the sounds of nature in your videos. This gives the viewer an idea of actually being there too. So many documentaries use generic music. Thank you.

[@TUCOtheratt]

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

[@sunshine2528]

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

[@rolandschoepf8118]

I wonder if these pictographs were more depictions of what happened to the people that had settled there and themselves having been killed and beheaded as opposed to they themselves committing the violence? I was struck by the tears as well and thought that the art was perhaps drawn by the victims of such atrocities.

[@sunshine2528]

@@rolandschoepf8118 It’s possible? Sure are a lot of the drawings though. Had this happened over and over, I’d have left the area instead of cataloguing the atrocities committed by the beasts wearing headdresses. All the wall art is strange to me. I want to know more about these people!

[@ironcladranchandforge7292]

Those are not tears, that's blood.

[@whatgoesaroundcomesaround920]

Unlikely. If they were gonna show blood, it would be dripping from the bottom. Physiologically, unlikely that blood would be coming only from eyes and not any from nose or mouth or ears. If this represents a severed head. All the heads done in any detail show the tears, either as rows of dots or lines slanting from eyes to each side. You have to wonder why none of the complete figures have years. It must be significant.

[@NeilMcGuire]

@@whatgoesaroundcomesaround920Could their eyes have been gouged out and the sockets are bleeding?

[@HeartsXoXd]

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.

[@rtqii]

I have stood in front of petroglyphs and had them explained to me... They use common symbols for water, sometimes there are maps. 13:50 is what I was told meant water.

[@coppertopv365]

What do theses say

[@mf5985]

Thank you for sharing that title!

[@I_am_Junebug]

This makes sense to me, though I am no expert. These people had no written language, right? So this "art" is likely some form of communication, telling a story, or providing information. It's not just decorative art.

[@jjosborne1982]

Your comment is going to lead me down a hole that I anticipate will be a deep one. Just a simple search and I found this gem! I am excited to learn more about the ancients communication styles and the meanings behind their work. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqm6l2SNjtGZg6Msi=JY7eZRvi_oAgTnu_

[@Canthus13]

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...

[@bobsiegfried7740]

A Dine’ (Navaho) woman recently told me a story about a six fingered man from the south that brought drugs, gambling and cannibalism to the area. Many people moved into the cliffs for protection. Could he have been Aztec?

[@Canthus13]

@@bobsiegfried7740 either that or she was talking about the 90s.

[@HippyDippyToes]

@@Canthus13hahahaha

[@gilberticus6978]

​@@bobsiegfried7740 it was the six fingered man that Inego Montoya vowed to kill for the murder of his father! ⚔️

[@dianabren3350]

1st time I saw crying faces?!

[@foxridge4352]

this was truly amazing!! thanks for taking us along!!! greetings from NY

[@sailingonasummerbreeze7892]

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!

[@TheJoan48]

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 KZbin. 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.

[@artivan111]

Totally out of context... my great grandfather's surname was Baumgartner. I think his name was Linus, his brother migrated to America, not sure whether after the 1st or 2nd WW, would need to ask my mother. Out of curiosity, were you ancestors from southern Germany near Mengen?

[@earthn1447]

That does it; I’m moving to Boulder - bet his spirit lives on.

[@swayback7375]

@@earthn1447just be prepared… its not like you imagine…

[@jaycee-fl3pp]

lol...or exactly like he envisions...enjoy the smoky haze...think John Denver had a song..."Rocky Mountain High"? lol

[@Clover12346]

Your brother was a remarkable man. Thanks for talking about him. My condolences.

[@dcallan812]

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

[@MrWreckedUM]

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…

[@angelmist4253]

Or if someone did it to steal the art.

[@bigviper64]

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!

[@pdmullgirl]

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! ❤️💜💚

[@pttpforever]

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.

[@anthonystratton4941]

And it certainly helps that with the anthropological creds you have, you obtain access to stuff no one else has access to. Thanks for your work.

[@almirria6753]

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

[@goodluckallways]

Colorado here, thanks so much for sharing your adventures 🧡

[@Paprika991]

I love your videos, they're so respectful and educational. Keep up the good work!

[@wtmcgivney]

Breathtaking. Nice handling of an uncomfortable but vital topic.

[@donrepcon7704]

I so look forward to your installments. I've watched other KZbin 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.

[@bobneely4369]

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

[@mamm7223]

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!

[@ryleymiddleton]

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

[@miguelparedes5860]

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!

[@bryanwilson5812]

No such thing as indigenous!

[@javyloya1637]

@@bryanwilson5812😂…how so??

[@bellongia1]

Robots

[@rickdavis2235]

@miguelparedes5860 This is part of an article that appeared in the scientific journal, "The Scientist" regarding a 1988 find. From 1980 to the early 2000s, archaeologists uncovered habitation sites in both North and South America that predated Clovis times, but many of the sites were discounted by other scientists. Bones that appeared to have been butchered by humans might not have been, some argued; tools that looked deliberately carved could have been broken naturally. The first convincing chink in the Clovis-first model’s armor came back in 1988, when archaeologist Tom Dillehay, then at Austral University of Chile, discovered artifacts at a site called Monte Verde in southern Chile that he and his team estimated to be as old as 33,000 years. In addition to their potential age, the artifacts were distinct from the well-known Clovis spear points found elsewhere in the Americas, suggesting that at least one, if not several, separate human groups infiltrated the continents before the Clovis people. The Clovis-first model “was refuted effectively in the ’90s with this archaeological site of Monte Verde in Chile that was accepted as a ‘true’ pre-Clovis site,” says Lorena Becerra-Valdivia, a radiocarbon dating scientist at the University of Oxford. More-recent excavations of tools, remnants of campfires, a possible shelter, and food scraps preserved in peat at the site support Dillehay’s initial finding that people lived there more than 12,500 years ago, but narrowed the window to a maximum of about 19,500 years ago (the 33,000-year dating from the deepest levels of the site could neither be verified nor falsified).

[@debrawilson3840]

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

[@jameshall4385]

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

[@d.l.l.6578]

Please tell what time this appears.

[@ViliRagnarok]

@@d.l.l.6578 Looks like the 17:00 mark.

[@d.l.l.6578]

@@ViliRagnarok Oh, I see what you mean. Thanks.

[@freefall9832]

It didn't fit. Very strange

[@ForgttenOne]

@@d.l.l.6578 15:00 shows sword on back, havent reached 17:oo yet

[@gregkerr725]

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.

[@juniettareidhead8310]

That was my thought also….

[@Lelabear]

@@juniettareidhead8310 Me too. Looks like they were victims of an invasion of large scary people and they wanted to warn others.

[@roefane2258]

I was thinking that it was more a story of a civil war of sorts. Since both the victors and victims were given a lot of detail. Sort of an old version of “don’t do war kids” especially since it’s mainly westward and the sun or day ends in the west. The last thing to remember in the day while you’re safe in your homes is of what not to do tomorrow.

[@bettysbayith425]

Read the Torah, it explains everything. And tells of what is to come... As in the days of Noah

[@kaceesavage]

The different head shapes are very strange as well.

[@MarieFuchslin]

Hi Andrew! I’m curious - one of the clips depicts a warrior with what looks like a big sword. How would this have been possible given they didn’t have metallurgical technology at the time? Great video as usual!☺️

[@thowardphotography]

So well done! As usual. Great job!

[@davidcraig4112]

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

[@robertpeyton9535]

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.

[@rebeccacampbell8020]

I agree. I don’t think I missed anything but it appears as though they depict murder, not cannibalism.

[@Desert.Drifter]

I would agree with you Robert. Eating someone out of desperation is a bit different than eating someone for the ritual of it…

[@mikeconner5119]

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

[@Desert.Drifter]

That’s my neck of the woods

[@theburtseoni]

Is it possible at all to think that perhaps there were nomadic, traveling rock artists who went around to places where they could install their art? Would folks who struggled to make a living from hunting and crops have much time to do art work? Your quests and the resulting questions they raise make a person pause and really think about what was going on! Great work Andrew!!

[@pameladonahue7503]

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!

[@kendallkirkham238]

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.

[@lanawilliams7528]

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.

[@SweaterVestNetwork]

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!

[@sallysullivan4463]

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 .

[@beachcityboy02]

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 !!!

[@djcmission]

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

[@rogergriffin9893]

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?

[@vegassincity702]

Mexico is not central America, fokerh

[@Howard-bj1jq]

Mayans had that technology.

[@mpetrino7330]

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.

[@dat2ra]

Andrew. Thanks for the great tour. I appreciate your approach of not over-interpreting your subjects or going all wooey-wooey. I'm a Field Geologist by profession and have worked on a number of archaeological sites. Your vids are always illuminating and entertaining. Thank you.

[@TheAdamCampbell]

Awesome Video! Thanks for the wonderful narrative as always!

[@CAC63]

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

[@crystalclear5684]

The 'coil' depiction is the Sacred Spiral, known to be of shamanic in origin. It is the symbol of the medicine people, sometimes engraved on an open hand. Also a sign of protection, although the spiral has many interpretations...✨🌠

[@Bossladyone2]

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.

[@bettysbayith425]

Nimrod

[@JimmyMelgoza]

Maybe but are Egyptians known for beheading?

[@BurntOrangeHorn78]

I also thought of some of the early Egyptian depictions.

[@Knards]

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

[@marcusdebaca7761]

Like so much of today's re-looking and re-thinking about rock art and megalithic architecture, your work in the Southwestern US definitely contributes to the whole--and opens so many new questions.. Your impeccable presentations and research blend nicely with your reverence for the indigenous cultures you feature in your videos. Keep drifting, my friend. We are all the richer for your efforts.

[@TheOleHermit]

Fascinating. Thanks for recording this. Perhaps Photoshop could be used to enhance the contrasts, in order to bring pictures into more visible detail. @4:09 Square shaped 'Ghost dancer' head dress, unique from the others. The tribe of death, thus their name? @6:50 Eagle dancer? @12:26 & 23:45 Hoop dancer? @14:17 Heads with teardrops from their eyes & red blood dripping from severed head? @17:20 Not to mention the Aztec pyramid rituals of beheadings, then eating the still beating hearts of those sacrificed. Many sun-like petroglyphs, likely inspired by the amazingly beautiful red & orange western sunsets, which may explain their orientation.

[@Dr.Yalex.]

❤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

[@edword3457]

Don't forget planets in close proximity to the Earth and plasma discharge morphology THE THUNDERBOLTS OF THE GODS

[@matthewdyer2926]

You say that like you know...

[@gardengirl6799]

​@@edword3457great book.

[@runs_through_the_forest]

@@edword3457 "planets in close proximity to the Earth" talk about a highly speculative hypothesis.. i'm indeed not the biggest fan of the thunderbolts project, but i must admit they have more than a few interesting insights and ideas shared over the years. if there's one piece of literature i would recommend on this topic it would be Peratt et al. papers titled "Characteristics for the Occurrence of a High-Current Z-Pinch Aurora as Recorded in Antiquity". still the most ignored yet one of the more compelling studies in academic literature iv'e come across... (concerning both possible aurora phenomena when there is an unusually strong or large solar storm, and the strange thing where petroglyphs all around the planet seem to document very similar stuff)

[@edword3457]

@matthewdyer2926 it's called mythology, symbology and themematic similarities in petroglyphs around the world, such as the well documented "squatterman" form ♓️☸️♌️☪️

[@arthurpeterson246]

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

[@Cobbmtngirl]

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.

[@marshalbass7098]

Andrew, your content and the way you present it is really an amazing gift. I love watching your vids, and I always scroll down to read the comments afterward, to see all the love and positivity that people pour out. The whole experience of being part of your journey is really special.

[@kristinpokky5868]

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 .

[@cdd4248]

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

[@RobPainless]

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.

[@gregkerr725]

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.

[@HippyDippyToes]

Yes - I saw that two. Looked like a full beard. Wonder if it was RED BEARD ? Hmmmm the local people did not have facial hair - nor do they now

[@johnoryjr4269]

After seeing you referenced facial hair/beard, I went back to look. You're right, it's quite defined. It makes me wonder about mixed peoples from far away lands that may have assimilated into the native populations. There are many stories referencing seeing various colored eyes, lighter skin, blonde or redheaded people, not known to be the norm for native. But, like today, and eons of generations, we tend to have more survival success when we do assimilate.

[@janej6253]

His beard detail reminded me of Babylonian art from the plains of Shinar. King Nebuchadnezzar.

[@esockell]

@@johnoryjr4269 I'm unclear about the connection you mention. Many men have facial hair. The facial hai did not point my brain in the direction of "mixed" peoples. ???

[@kaelkichigoch2952]

​@@esockellnatives don't grow body hair

[@Eyephilosophize]

Videos like this truly relaxes me and gives me some peace within. Awesome video man. Subscribed.

[@Kens64chevelle]

Very interesting and very well done. You handle the subject with the somber tone that it requires and deserves.

[@conelia9504]

Another great experience! Thanks for documenting and sharing

[@rockzog]

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

[@ValHutchinson-t1g]

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.

[@lisaoliver5659]

There seems to be….check out Craig Child’s very intriguing book “House of Rain”

[@tomfarnsworth950]

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.

[@dvillebenny1445]

Thank you for your work, I'd never be able to visit the sight. You make it special.

[@jbear3562]

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

[@millenials_best]

That is the question that should be asked

[@walterulasinksi7031]

As with the evidence from Chaco Canyon, it would seem that there was some type of incursion from a Meso-American tribe that due to a distinct climate change , most likely caused by a VEI 7+ eruption of the Pektu volcano on the border of China and North Korea, that food was so scarce that the Meso-American tribe became cannibals. This has been shown by skeletal evidence in Chaco Canyon, with cut marks on human bones and abrasions resultant from being pot cooked. The Ancestral Peubloeans first took to cliff dwellings that could be defended, however were forced to leave when the water sources were blocked. Fleeing into the Fremont area, they created a record of the refugee experience with the petroglyphs, before a diaspora of all the clans, including the Fremont, as all were being pursued. From this point the dispersement went in all directions.

[@master_X_72]

Right, maybe that's why we have no more records of the Fremont people, they were being cannibalized?

[@fiddyscenttupacksaday3308]

Truth can be stranger than fiction. Looks like armored Conquistadors killing the much smaller and different facial bone structured natives.

[@matts.8342]

@@fiddyscenttupacksaday3308 But if these were Fremont that was hundreds of years after they disappeared.

[@bettiebarker1975]

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.

[@Jerry-b7f]

They don't know what happened to the Anasazi people

[@rann4114]

Twin warrior story is of another older time. Anasazi story came later. Small brutal little people still striking fear into the Navajo people even today.

[@rann4114]

True. We don't know what happened to them. We only speculate on what happened. Some say we all join forces that were enslaved. Some say a sun entered the atmosphere and wiped them out. Maybe the combination of both. The DNA is in the local tribes. They are living in my eyes

[@Jerry-b7f]

@@rann4114 there's just no proof of that

[@jessejames8900]

There were little people terrorizing humans,kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpCxpGeva7Ckla8si=x-lQvHm3M-NjJbil

[@thanksforstoppingby]

In New Mexico, near Los Alamos is a place called Tsankawi. The petroglyphs there are very similar to these of the Fremont,the area is similar including the open area in front of the cliffs.

[@Shrinkingviolett2]

Thank you for sharing. This is the only way this old art major would get to see these!

[@poojadulbran3666]

Really interested, watching from Mumbai India.

[@drobertsmithjewelry]

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.

[@timcox6796]

As another poster here has said, according to Navaho tradition, (on KZbin 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 KZbin.

[@Mack-op1vw]

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

[@Dutch2go]

Yes! I second that.

[@YeahBuddyMTB]

Another great video! Love the anthropological education. I lived in the Verde Valley in northern Arizona for years and you videos remind me of many hikes and adventures I had in that region. Thanks for all you videos, I never miss them. Be well.

[@thomaslevine405]

I've been there before, it's a wonder hike in and the petroglyphs were incredible! Thanks for brining back memories.

[@AmandaSchnaare]

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

[@JCTXFF]

My thought too, and Egyption. Some of the images had large feet, what does that mean?

[@KenLieck]

@@JCTXFF Big boots!

[@found1thatworks]

Thanks for sharing. Great presentation.

[@johnganshow5536]

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...

[@LordoftheBadgers]

Not saying you're wrong... But in UK archaeology there was also the interpretation that funereal practice and ancestor worship involved defleshing - lots of the famous bronze age tombs had only partial remains. Indicating that remains were borrowed as if in a library! That said we have also interpreted cannibalism too. Fascinating what is possible

[@LordoftheBadgers]

And then we got to the end of the video - so fascinating. I didn't know about Jamestown

[@honthirty_]

Another example of Englishmen eating people. Lots of butcher marks left on bones near Stonehenge.

[@contrarygirl]

It seems to me that many, if not all of the severed heads are being depicted as weeping....because of this it occurs to me that perhaps these images are telling a tale of what was being done to these people or happening in this area, as opposed to what they were doing themselves to others? There were old indigenous tales speaking of warring peoples migrating thru these areas basically from the north heading southward conquering and pillaging the more sedentary hunter gatherer peoples that already lived there. I remember hearing/reading about some theories many years ago, that these "conquerors" continued southward potentially ending up in the Mexico area where we now know of as what became the Aztec kingdom. It is striking to me that there are a whole lot of similarities between what may be being depicted here (right down to the ornamentation of these kings/warriors) and what we also know was commonly practiced among those peoples that belonged to the Aztec peoples et al. Its just a thought..... Absolutely love your work!!! Thank you for all your curiousity and hard work exploring and documenting these incredible sites!! ❤

[@Greg-io1ip]

That's interesting. Completely possible. We are also learning about Polynesian fast outrigger sailing canoes getting to Easter Island and onto South America. So there were more civilized people around the Aztecs on both sides that probably got tired of their cult activities.

[@FuzzyBuzzBoy]

Another Great episode. So lucky to have people like you out in the field showing whats out there. The episode with the gauged hand on stone was Amazing! Thank You DD!

[@NWCdunnite]

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.

[@69Buddha]

@@watcherspirit2351 Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya.

[@ifarrell71]

The issue here is that we would then see more traces of Aztec presence in the area in terms of iconography, language, material culture, and genetics. We don’t really see any of that outside of some potential similarities in rock art design choices, so it’s highly unlikely that there was any direct contact between Central Mexico and Utah.

[@saltpeter7429]

​@@ifarrell71very interesting points, I had not thought of. Hhhmm...this is fascinating.

[@ronvagedes6313]

@@ifarrell71 Possibly raiding parties looking for slaves, rather than conquering and occupying.

[@Marianne-k4u]

@@watcherspirit2351 Six fingers usually meens giants

[@beckihuehn8225]

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

[@dorisennis9908]

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

[@terrylcorbin5310]

Thanku for taking me on a tour my body will not allow me to do now adays.

[@lpittman1509]

I agree with you about the cannibalism pictograph. The placement of the two heads and legs leads me to believe it is an unfinished work, not dismembered body parts.