by Rock Art defaced
News from Stone Pages: Rare Rock Art defaced in Utah
Utah archeologists are fuming with the discovery that ancient art has been vandalized. The Buckhorn Pictograph in Emery County (U.S.A.) has been defaced with charcoal and chalk. The Bureau of Land Management is already putting up a $1,000 reward for information on suspects, and plans to try and remove the vandalism this weekend.
The Buckhorm panel is believed to be anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 years old; the rock art was created by Native Americans in the San Rafael Swell. Now the art has been defaced, someone has written with chalk, “I love you Wendy” it stretches nearly six feet long. In another area someone has used charcoal to inscribe the name Sherrie next to another pictograph.
The rock art is some of the most accessible site for the public to see and is very rare. The vandalism is extremely disappointing for land managers. This site was recently cleared of vandalism in 1995 during a project to restore the rock art. Now the same rock art conservator, Constance Silver is being flown in from New York City this weekend so she can attempt to remove the vandalism without ruining the rock art. The BLM is asking for help in finding who is responsible and is offering that $1,000 reward.
Source: KSL News (4 August 2004)
Regular readers may recall I recently wrote about the fantastic rock art in Utah and the southwest US. I wonder if buckhorn wash* is the vandalized wall?
This kind of news makes me very sad and angry. Such vandals should be hung by their toes!
*link expired and removed
August 5, 2004 in Rock Art & Archaeology by Marja-Leena
Upon learning of this, I was almost brought to tears. What a shame that someone would deface some of our country’s oldest history.
These vandals should be hung by something more sensitive than their toes.