SANTA FE – Federal officials are investigating spray-painted graffiti and other damage to petroglyphs dating back thousands of years at a site west of Santa Fe.
The damage to La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs likely occurred Jan. 18, U.S. Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Jillian Aragon told the Santa Fe New Mexican.
The agency’s field office in Taos has ordered supplies to try to remove the paint, but the long-term effects are unknown, Aragon said.
“What we do know is that the more these types of occurrences take place, the more likely it will be for these resources to be damaged beyond repair,” she said. “It’s taking away from critical scientific, historical and social resources that cannot be re-created.”
According to a news release, those convicted of damaging cultural sites face penalties of up to two years in prison and a $20,000 fine per charge under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.
