Authorities in Utah are asking the public to help determine who damaged a petroglyph panel with illegally installed climbing bolts.
The bolts were found east of Jensen in Uintah County, in a place called Pregnant Sheep Panel, according to CBS affiliate KUTV. informed,
Bureau of Land Management photo posted on facebook They are shown embedded in the rock beneath petroglyphs of a human figure and an animal.
Bureau of Land Management
The damage was first reported to the agency on November 10, and after authorities exhausted leads the bureau and the Uintah County Sheriff's Office asked for the public's help. Anyone with information is asked to call the Law Enforcement Bureau.
It is unclear how old the petroglyphs are, but there are many prehistoric rock carvings in Utah that are protected by state and federal laws, including the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. Under the law, first-time offenders could be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to a year, KUTV reports.
The Pregnant Sheep Panel is located near Musket Shot Springs Overlook in northeastern Utah.
It is one of several invaluable prehistoric rock art sites in Utah that document the ancient cultural heritage of indigenous tribes, the station reports.
In 2021, climbing bolts were found on ancient rock art near Moab in eastern Utah. They were removed, but archaeologists say the petroglyphs were permanently damaged. A Colorado Springs man claimed responsibility in an interview with the Gazette, KUTV reported In those days. He said he mistook the rock art for graffiti.