MODERN ERA GALISTEO BASIN PETROGLYPH LOOTING AND GOVERNMENT CONTROLS, 1977-2023

Abstract

New Mexico, USA, indigenous people’s petroglyphs have endured more than 400 years of post-contact exposure. Only in the 2nd half of the 20th century did preservation and conservation efforts commence. Beginning then, public laws, regulations and enforcement have sought to protect petroglyphs in the Galisteo Basin. Cattle and sheep herders, farmers, and tourists all infringed upon these panels, often composites of multiple images, situated on both private and public lands. Unpublished government surveys reported on destruction and vandalism with photos and risk analyses upon which future strategies were mapped. Photos illustrate both incising in situ and looting of rock pieces, which provided impetus for preservation across multiple political spheres of influence. Archaeologists contributed literature reviews and style analysis, in the process of recording the petroglyphs. Federal and state laws and regulations and administrative efforts in preservation between 1977 and 2023 are tracked, together with whether they were successful.