Authorities seek tips after ancient engraving damaged by climbing bolts in Utah
Authorities in Utah are asking the public to help it determine who damaged a petroglyph panel with illegally installed climbing bolts.
The bolts were found east of Jensen in Uintah County on what’s called the Pregnant Sheep panel, CBS affiliate KUTV reported.
A Bureau of Land Management photo posted on Facebook shows them embedded in rock below a petroglyph of a human figure and an animal.
Bureau of Land Management
The damage was first reported to the agency Nov. 10, and the bureau and the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s help after officers exhausted leads. Anyone with information is asked to call bureau law enforcement.
It’s not clear how old the petroglyph is, but Utah has many prehistoric rock carvings that are protected by state and federal laws including the Archeological Resource Protection Act. Under the law, first-time offenders may receive fines up to $10,000 and imprisonment up to one year, KUTV reports.
The Pregnant Sheep panel is located in northeastern Utah near the Musket Shot Springs Overlook.
It is one of many invaluable prehistoric rock art sites in Utah that document the ancient cultural heritage of Indigenous tribes, the station reports.
In 2021, climbing bolts were found on ancient rock art near Moab, in eastern Utah. They were removed, but archaeologists say the petroglyph was forever damaged. A Colorado Springs man took responsibility in an interview with the Gazette, KUTV reported at the time. He said he mistook the rock art for graffiti.