<\/p>\n
This is an exceedingly sad story.<\/p>\n
Vandals armed with power saws have stolen at least four ancient rock carvings, apparently going to great lengths to slice them out of a valuable archeological site in California.<\/p>\n
Vandals armed with power saws have stolen at least four ancient rock carvings, apparently going to great lengths to slice them out of a valuable archeological site in California.<\/p>\n
The petroglyphs, etched by ancient hunters 3,500 years ago, had survived winds, floods and earthquakes, only to disappear from the rock face in a matter of hours, according to the Los Angeles Times.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Called the “worst act of vandalism ever seen,” someone “smashed and grabbed” these ancient artifacts. However, they not only stole from the site:<\/p>\n
A fifth carving suffered deep saw cuts, and a sixth was removed but broken and abandoned near a parking lot in the Eastern Sierra desert. Dozens of others were scarred by hammer blows.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Plus, the thieves needed equipment, lots of it, to get the job done.<\/p>\n
\nThe stolen slabs of rock were two feet square, and were up to 15 feet off the ground, requiring ladders and electrical generators for the power saws.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
This act raises some interesting questions such as how do we protect sites like this… sites that cover thousands of acres… just as budgets for such activity are getting slashed.<\/p>\n
Archeologist David Whitley, who helped the site gain a listing on the National Register of Historic Places, said the theft exposed the vulnerability of such treasures and the difficulty of managing them.<\/p>\n
“Do we keep them secret in hopes that no one vandalizes them? Or, do we open them to the public?” he asked.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n