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Saturday, November 7, 2026

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BLM investigates names scratched into two petroglyph panels near Moab

The damage is at the Bear Panel along Utah 279 and a site near Hell's Revenge in the Sand Flats area. The agency says cleanup may not remove all of it.

The Bear Panel petroglyph, a large carved bear with smaller figures, on a sandstone wall along Utah 279 near Moab
The Bear Panel along Utah 279 near Moab in an earlier photo posted to Wikimedia Commons. It does not show the new damage. Photo: runt35 · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Moab

What was damaged

Two panels of ancient rock art near Moab now carry scratched names, and the Bureau of Land Management is asking the public to help find who did it. [1][2][3]

The agency announced Friday that it is investigating separate incidents at the Bear Panel along Utah 279 west of Moab and at a site near Hell's Revenge in the Sand Flats area northeast of town. [1][2]

At the Bear Panel, in the Wall Street area, someone scratched graffiti near the bear figure and directly beside a bighorn sheep. Near Sand Flats, a first name and initial cover several images, including a humanlike figure with head adornments and a geometric figure, a BLM spokesperson told The Times-Independent. [1]

The BLM dates both panels to about A.D. 400 to 1300, when people farmed maize across the Moab region. [1]

Repairs and penalties

The BLM plans to treat the damage in the coming days. Specialized methods can remove the chalky residue that scratching leaves, but deeper cuts in the soft sandstone may remain. "While the appearance of this type of vandalism can often be reduced, it cannot always be fully removed," the spokesperson said. [1]

The agency asked visitors not to try to remove the graffiti themselves, because that can further damage the rock and the images under it. [1]

The sites are protected by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. "Vandalism or unauthorized disturbance of archaeological resources is a serious federal offense and can result in significant fines, imprisonment, and/or exclusion from public lands," the BLM said. [1][3]

The spokesperson said the agency had no information about suspects to share. Anyone with information can call BLM Moab law enforcement at 435-259-2131. [1][2][3]

Sources

3 cited (sltrib.com, ksl.com, kutv.com). Paragraphs carry [n] links to their sources.

  1. The Salt Lake Tribune (Times-Independent): Vandals damage ancient petroglyph sites near Moab, Nov. 6, 2026 sltrib.com
  2. KSL.com: Feds investigate after damage found to 2 prehistoric petroglyphs near Moab, Nov. 6, 2026 ksl.com
  3. KUTV: Prehistoric petroglyph panels damaged in two vandalism incidents near Moab, Nov. 6, 2026 kutv.com

This story was written by AI from the report by The Salt Lake Tribune, which has the full story. How we write stories.

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