Utah officials investigate damage to petroglyphs at two sites near Moab

Authorities in Utah are investigating two acts of vandalism that defaced ancient Native American petroglyphs near Moab. The carvings are protected cultural resources, and damage to them matters because it can permanently alter archaeological sites that cannot be restored to their original condition.

The incidents happened along Highway 279 and near Hell’s Revenge; one affected the Bear Panel, where graffiti appeared beside depictions of a bear and bighorn sheep. A name was also carved across several figures at the second site. Officials plan to try low-impact conservation methods, but deeper cuts in the sandstone may remain; no suspects had been named, and federal penalties can include imprisonment and fines.