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 Alarmed by the deterioration of Utah’s prehistoric rock art and understanding that there was no effort to record the totality of what was left of the Barrier Canyon style rock art, the BCS PROJECT was formed (by David Sucec and Craig Law) and began documentation in 1991 (a non-profit since 1992). As of September 2001, the PROJECT has photographed 212 sites with BCS images.
The objectives of the BCS PROJECT documentation project are to record all Barrier Canyon style rock art images, with large-format cameras for the maximum clarity and detail; produce archival photographic prints (gelatin-silver and ultra-stable color processes) for optimum viewing and study; to create a complete inventory of the documented sites; and to generate a scholarly description and analysis of the style’s imagery.
The complete documentation (without specific locations of sites) will be housed in the Special Collections Division of the Marriott Library, University of Utah as a record and resource for scholars/interested public in the study of the Barrier Canyon style and Utah prehistoric rock art. The photographic work is expected to be completed in the year 2004, the inventory and interpretation in 2006. A major exhibition of documentation photographs and material and a publication will follow. A symposium focusing on the Barrier Canyon style is tentatively planned for 2005.
In addition, the BCS PROJECT has also undertaken a public outreach program. The goal of this program is, through lectures, exhibitions, and publications, to increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of Utah’s prehistoric rock art and to encourage ethical and respectful behavior towards the rock art panels. The preservation of these irreplaceable prehistoric images depends, above all, on appropriate human interaction—an individual can, in less that fifteen minutes, do more damage to a rock art panel than three or four thousand years of natural weathering.
The BCS PROJECT has been partially funded by grants from the National Geographic Society’s Research and Exploration Committee, the Utah Humanities Council, the Utah Arts Council, the Salt Lake County Zoo Arts and Parks Program Fund, the Salt Lake City Arts Council, the Utah State Centennial Commission, the Salt Lake County Centennial Committee.
The PROJECT has been assisted by Grand Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah State Bureau of Land Management, Utah Rock Art Research Association, and many concerned individuals.
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