Protecting ancient world secrets

There is a little-known strain of Fremont, whose civilization has mysteriously disappeared nearly 700 years ago. Over the past five decades, Waldo Wilcox - Utah's farm owner has protected many of the stone sculptures and artifacts left on his land. And today the veil of secret has been lifted.

Unconscious destruction

Although intentional or unintentional, people today have saved personal marks on ancient works of art in Utah. A picture near the Temple Mountain site has several bullet marks as well as initials with the same date, all of which are considered destructive. There are tourists also write down the journey to travel . near the location of Rochester Creek. Today, such destructive actions in public places and Indian lands are punishable by imprisonment, fine, or public labor.

Over the past decade, farm owners have displayed warning signs - but misspelled, incorrectly printed and overwritten images of North American deer in Nine Mile Canyon! Archaeologist Jerry Spangler said: " This is not illegal, but it reflects an increasingly fierce conflict between private landowners and visitors who violate other people's properties without the permission of owner ". Until now, the excavation sites at Wilcox were considered the most intact. The question now is how to maintain the status quo.

Some ancient artworks were overwritten by letters (Photo: SGTT)

The terrain is dangerous

Living on the land where the Fremont culture evolved (now most of Utah and neighboring states) has never been an easy task. Even at the best of times, when the weather allowed the cultivation of grain along the river in the Range Creek area, the Fremont people still had to supplement their modest meals by hunting and gathering fruit. wild in the forest. When the weather was severe, they sheltered in the village in the land that protruded near the river and transported food across the canyon to the warehouse to make sure their reserves were not stolen. Some people may have fallen when climbing, this tragedy may have been shown on a painting in Range Creek. The Fremont stockpiles probably led to violent conflicts. Did neighboring communities take that rare food source? Or did a group of outsiders invade?Archaeologists hope from the Ruins of Range Creek - never discovered and exploited - will help lift the veil of the Fremont fate. Whatever happened, their civilization had grown but was completely lost around 1350.

Waldo Wilcox - He has always protected many stone sculptures and artifacts left on his land (Photo: reviewjournal)

Carved on a sandstone cliff, the shape of an ancient costume - possibly related to ancient rites - was discovered near a group of houses and barns near the Wilcox farm in the Range Creek canyon area. Wilcox sold the area in 2002. Since then, archaeologists have only excavated a small part of that priceless treasure, but they have recorded more than 350 locations. Most belong to the Fremont, used to name a 75-mile river that flows south, where similar ruins were discovered in the late 20s.

Guard

Having lived on his father's farm in Range Creek - Utah gorge for about 50 years, Waldo Wilcox still lived there when he was married and had four children. In that half century, this man really experienced a meaningful life. In 1951, they erected strong 12-mile-long fences to the remote canyon area and carefully locked gates covering the entire farm.

In 2001, at the age of 71, Waldo sold his farm to the Trust under the Utah state land project. His wife did not like this remote area, he could not even divide the farm for the children. Waldo moved to a small house near the Green River area with a heavy mood.

The following summer, archaeologists conducted the first survey of Range Creek canyon. They were surprised by what they witnessed: arrows, ceramic pieces, beads, stone carvings, mountain cave food depots, stone rings, remnants of many houses. In the cave was burned . All are works of the Fremont, they are farmers, who live by hunting and gathering living about 1,000 years ago.

In 2000, at a Salt Lake City meeting, Kevin Jones - Utah State Archaeologist said Range Creek canyon is the best protected area. " The irony is that the area is protected by a private farm owner, not any of the laws we have adopted to preserve these cultural relics, " he said.

Archaeologists have asked Waldo as a guide to discover the hidden secrets of the Fremont people. Waldo's attitude is not very enthusiastic because he does not appreciate their professionalism. The reason is that many years ago, at a ruins about 300m away from the valley floor, Waldo discovered an intact skeleton of the Fremont people with a fairly long skull. To protect this skull, he picked up a nearby stone mortar - the ancient mortar used to spread cereals - and placed it on the skull of the skeleton. Four years later, Waldo instructed two archaeological students to survey the area. They returned tired but excited, excited. Waldo recalls: " They said they found Fremont burying the dead body with a mortar covering the head. I bet I could tell the exact location of the mortar! ".

Mr. Waldo Wilcox's farm area map(Photo: nationalgeographi)

Gradually Waldo developed his theory of ancient people who once lived in Range Creek. He said: " Like the first person to appear here is no higher than 1.2 meters, I call them" little people. "I think the Fremont come and destroy this tiny human being. The Fremont, where the arrows are found, there are indigenous Indians . "

Duncan Metcalfe, project leader of the University of Utah, listened and disagreed. Metcalfe and archaeologists have found some evidence of residents longer than the Fremont. No professional researcher has agreed to Waldo's hypothesis about the elves.

One of the first to investigate the problem was Noel Morss, an amateur archaeologist who named the Fremont in 1931, after digging in central Utah, the Fremont River area. Over 70 years later, experts raised the salient features of each culture to distinguish the Fremont and the Anasaz in the south. Fremont people can carve complex and delicate stones; they use flat loafers made of soft leather instead of made from bark; they created a thin gray pottery. The hypothesis of the Fremont inhabited land extends from Utah to Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado. The Fremont keep the habit of hunting and gathering, they are ready to clean and move to anywhere.

Canyon is a museum

Around 1350 AD, the Fremont people suddenly disappeared in their own homeland. Nobody knows what happened. Perhaps some have migrated, assimilated with tribes or were simply genocide because of starvation.

The characters that once conveyed a powerful message now exist as a mystical sign on the cliff in central Utah.Experts can determine that the carvings are a dog with a curly, hairy tail, about 1.8 meters high, holding a snake, and an inner trapezoid symbol is the right eye image but still haven't deciphered the meaning.They call it the Barrier Canyon stone art and believe that it is probably the ancestors of the Fremont who hunted and hunted by the hunter.Thousands of similar excavation sites store pictures and characters of one or more cultures, and most are adversely affected by time, weather and human destruction.At this place, many parts of the cliff have been eroded, or landslides, dragging images engraved on it.Constance Silver, a conservation expert, said: " Erosion is a big problem now. Because we don't know how to overcome this situation ." (Photo: nationalgeographi)

The important relics in Range Creek are all high above, most of them unexplainable places, many of which are food stores. The fact that the Fremont have cereal at the craggy ledges impresses Waldo. " When you have only a few grains and everyone is hungry, you have to hide food in the most difficult place to steal, " he said.

50 years ago, Waldo climbed to the cliff's feet, then he stopped. Not surprised by the climbing ability of the Fremont, Waldo said: " Consider this way: they do nothing but climb daily. Maybe some of them have fallen and lost their lives, but others are still not afraid ".

In the summer of 2005, the tension between Waldo and the research team began to intensify. They map each discovery location with the help of a global positioning device and save the location of each fragment, arrow, crusher . At the same time they also collect all the forms. Catch it and take it to the Utah Natural History Museum. Waldo was disappointed: "I think they should put these things in their place. The canyon is the largest and best museum to store all these artifacts."

Waldo gnawed at the gorge on the canyon where he wholeheartedly loved. The farm he manages has kept the valley green, but now the grass has grown high, making it easy to catch fire. One morning, Waldo sat on the grass in front of his small house, far north and hills where Waldo had found the ruins, he regretted: " I was wrong to sell this land. Only. there is only one Range Creek in the world, yet I let it slip out of my hand . " But then his gaze flashed hope. He whispered: " I know there is still a place with many Indian artifacts. And if they destroy the Range Creek area, this secret will follow me to eternity ."

The caves also hide many secrets about the Fremont people (Photo: nationalgeographi)

A scary threatening message (Photo: nationalgeographi)

A cruel notice? (Photo: nationalgeographi)

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