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Ancient petroglyphs nearly 3,000 years old vandalized in Emery County

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EMERY COUNTY, Utah — A destructive trend that has become a common occurrence in Utah has once again turned up after ancient petroglyphs were found vandalized in Emery County.

Graffiti was found etched across four petroglyphs at the Buckhorn Draw Pictograph Panel in the San Rafael Swell. The Utah Bureau of Land Management said the site has been there for possibly 3,000 years.

"Silvia P" was the wording in the vandalism that is now being investigated by the agency's Price field office.

"I do not understand the lack of respect the lack of awe at past cultures and that goes into the respect," said Moab resident Lisa Kussmaul. "What is wrong? Why do you have to put your initials, your name over the top of a precious piece of art work?"

Buckhorn Draw Pictograph Panel in the San Rafael Swell
Vandalism discovered at Buckhorn Draw Pictograph Panel in the San Rafael Swell

As the Outdoor Recreation Planner at the Price BLM office, Jaydon Mead couldn't agree more.

"It hurts my heart, it really does," he said. "You know, these are sites that I love to share with other people."

Mead added the vandalism occurred soon after surveillance cameras at the site disappeared.

"It just so happened [the cameras] were stolen sometime around late December and it was when they were being reinstalled on January 17 that we discovered this new vandalism," Mead shared.

In the past few months, multiple examples of vandalism have been found at Utah historical sites, including one that led to the arrest of a woman who had defaced the etchings on the Wire Pass Trail in Kane County.

Blue powder stains Utah red rocks after powder cannon blast:

Blue powder stains Utah red rocks after powder cannon blast

In December, rangers spent hours cleaning up the mess left behind after someone set off a blue powder canyon on the red rocks of Snow Canyon State Park.

"Why do we have to police this stuff," asked Kussmaul. "Because people can’t leave it alone, they can’t respect that there’s barriers."

The Bureau of Land Management asks anyone who has information on the Buckhorn Draw Pictograph Panel vandalism to contact their Price field office.

Discovering the petroglyphs of Nine Mile Canyon below:

Discovering the petroglyphs of Nine Mile Canyon