Vandals Deface Millennia-Old Big Bend Petroglyph Beyond Repair
On Dec. 26, 2021, Big Bend National park visitors scratched their names over a petroglyph that’s up to 8,500 years old. Experts say they can’t repair the damage.
In a rarely visited area of Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas, “Isaac, Ariel, Adrian, and Norma” left their mark — permanently.
A small boulder that displayed abstract petroglyphs for thousands of years now reads “ISAAC + ARIEL 12-26-21 NORMA Adrian 2021.”
The vandals scratched the graffiti into the stone, obscuring a significant portion of the archaeological resource. Park visitors reported the vandalism to staff. Next, dispatched restoration specialists arrived at the site to assess. Unfortunately, they consider the damage irreparable.
The boulder lies in the Indian Head area, which contains “abundant rock art, shelters, etc.,” said Tom Vandenberg, chief of interpretation and education at Big Bend National Park. “It has been used by various groups of people for thousands of years, including groups from interior Mexico.”
Big Bend Petroglyph Showed ‘Archaic’ Art
Tom Alex is a retired archaeologist who works with the park. He explained that the petroglyph’s style and state of weathering reflected a long timespan and multiple groups of ancient humans.
“The style and motifs in it vary over the wide area from the Great Plains to the Desert Southwest and including the Big Bend,” he said. “[O]n the Indian Head site, abstract petroglyphs were produced over a long span of time, as evidenced by the degree of patination.” (Patination is the process by which a surface acquires a thin layer of discoloration due to aging.)
The panel itself dates to what archaeologists call the Archaic Period. Archaic petroglyphs show abstract style (as opposed to representational) and are anywhere between 1,300 and 8,500 years old.
Big Bend National Park Requests Tips
Vandalizing archaeological resources on public or Indigenous lands is a federal crime. Furthermore, penalties include up to $20,000 in fines and 2 years in prison.
Big Bend asks anyone with information regarding the incident or the individuals involved to contact the park’s Communication Center at 432-477-1187. Alternatively, anyone with a tip can contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch at 888-653-0009.
GearJunkie contacted Vandenberg, but he was not available for comment.
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