Panel to address rock-art vandalism

Some of Arizona’s greatest cultural resources are not easy to find, yet when vandals discover them, tragedy can occur.

A free panel discussion, “Painted, Scratched, Defaced: Rock Art Vandalism in Arizona,” at ASU’s Deer Valley Rock Art Center, Feb. 5, will address that topic.

The discussion will begin at 1 p.m. Panelists will include Neil Weintraub, Kaibab National Forest archaeologist; Peter Pilles, Coconino National Forest archaeologist; Lyle Balenquah, acting curator of anthropology, Museum of Northern Arizona; and Todd Bostwick, retired City of Phoenix archaeologist.

Vandalism to rock art sites in Arizona is a distressing and persistent reality. To promote public awareness and debate about the preservation of rock art sites, the panel will discuss a variety of topics, including recent vandalism at Keyhole Sink, debates over rock art conservation models, Native American concerns about the destruction of cultural heritage, as well as stewardship of archaeological sites.

Deer Valley Rock Art Center is located at 3711 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday and 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays.

DVRAC has the largest concentration of Native American petroglyphs in the Phoenix Valley. Visitors hike a 1/4-mile trail to view more 1,500 petroglyphs made between 500 and 7,000 years ago. The museum aims to promote preservation, connection and respect for the site and is a destination for families to learn about archaeology in their own backyard.

The center is managed by one of the top archaeology programs in the country – the School of Human Evolution & Social Change, an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – at Arizona State University. It is a Phoenix Point of Pride.

For more information, call (623) 582-8007 or click here.