Sky faces

About This Experience

Sky Faces – A Quest Above the Canyon Finding the Sky Faces became a quest long before we ever entered the canyon. Very few photographs of the site existed, so we studied the rare images carefully, looking for anything that might reveal where the panel was hidden: the angle of the sandstone wall, the shape of the surrounding cliffs, the slope beneath the figures and small fragments of landscape visible around them. For a long time we had several possibilities but nothing convincing enough to make the trip with confidence. The real breakthrough came from satellite imagery. Comparing the formations visible from above with the clues in the photographs gradually narrowed the search until one particular area seemed to fit remarkably well. It was still a hypothesis, but for the first time we felt we had something solid enough to follow. When we finally reached the area, the beginning was surprisingly easy. We followed a sandy wash for a relatively short distance, knowing that somewhere above us the figures should be waiting. Then the terrain changed abruptly. We had to leave the sand and climb steeply over exposed sandstone, gaining elevation quickly. The hike was not long, but it was intense, and the increasingly open slope made it clear that this was not a place for anyone uncomfortable with heights. As we climbed, the landscape began to match the photographs we had studied at home. Certain formations appeared exactly where we expected them, and suddenly our long search with satellite images started to feel worthwhile. We continued upward, reached the correct level and finally spotted the figures on the wall. We had been right. The Sky Faces are part of the distinctive Faces Motif, a rock-art tradition found only in the Canyonlands area. The site contains eight anthropomorphic figures, although preservation makes some much easier to recognize than others. Their simplified heads, sparse facial features and carefully painted clothing or ornaments are characteristic of the style. The motif is associated with Pueblo III Ancestral Puebloan occupation, approximately AD 1170–1300. The figures themselves are striking. Dark heads contrast with pale painted elements below them, producing the strange impression that the faces are suspended against the sandstone. One particularly interesting detail is the presence of white crescent-shaped gorgets. These may depict actual textile ornaments rather than abstract symbols. Similar crescent-shaped objects made from yucca thread and cotton are known archaeologically from the Puebloan Southwest. Such details suggest that the artists were concerned with more than simply representing the human form. Across the Faces Motif, clothing, jewelry, hairstyles and body decoration appear repeatedly and may have conveyed information about social identity. Some figures have chest markings that researchers interpret as possible body paint, while belts and sashes may represent loom-woven cotton textiles characteristic of Puebloan communities of this period. One intriguing interpretation is that the Faces Motif may represent ancestors. The repeated forms, simplified faces and slit-like eyes do not look like attempts at individual portraits. The eyes may even have been intended to suggest the closed eyes of the dead. The clothing and ornaments, in contrast, could have identified a particular community or kin group. The figures may therefore have expressed shared descent, social unity or a connection between a group and the surrounding landscape. This remains a hypothesis, but it gives these silent faces an especially powerful meaning. Reaching the correct wall, however, presented us with a final problem. To stand directly in front of the panel we would have had to cross a very steep and exposed section of sandstone. The traverse looked genuinely dangerous, with almost no margin for error. After spending so much time trying to locate the Sky Faces, it was tempting to continue, but getting a few yards closer was simply not worth taking that risk. Fortunately, we had brought a 300 mm zoom lens. From a safer position off to the side, we could photograph the panel without attempting the exposed crossing. Through the long lens the figures suddenly became much more accessible: the dark heads, white ornaments and faint painted lines could all be studied despite the distance. In the end, the camera allowed us to bridge the final gap while leaving the dangerous section untouched. That became part of what made the experience so memorable. The Sky Faces were not reached simply by following a known trail. First came the rare photographs, then the search for landscape clues, the hours spent examining satellite images, the decision to trust one particular location, the walk along the sandy wash and finally the steep climb over sandstone. When the figures appeared exactly where we had hoped they would be, there was a tremendous sense of satisfaction. And perhaps there was something appropriate about never standing directly beneath them. The Sky Faces remained a little distant, high on their sandstone wall, visible but not easily approached. After roughly eight centuries they still keep most of their meaning to themselves. We had solved the geographical puzzle of finding them, but the much older mystery—who these figures represent and why they were painted there—remained exactly where it belongs.