Case file · High strangeness
Barrier Canyon 'ghosts' and the Sego 'aliens'
Life-size, tapering, often eyeless painted figures in Utah's canyons, such as the 'Holy Ghost' panel in Horseshoe Canyon and the figures of Sego Canyon, are popularly called alien portraits.
1971 CE · 38.47, -110.20 · status: claim
The account
Archaeologist Polly Schaafsma named the Barrier Canyon Style in 1971. The paintings were made by Archaic hunter-gatherers, probably 1,500 to 4,000 years ago or more; clay figurines in a similar style from nearby Cowboy Cave are over 7,000 years old.
The sceptical view
The figures resemble shamanic and spirit imagery found worldwide; their ghostly look reflects style, not visitors from space.