Some ancient petroglyphs at Volcanic Tableland near Bishop, California will never be the same thanks to recent vandalism. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Bishop Field Office is offering a $1,500 reward for information that could help authorities apprehend the individuals responsible for damaging petroglyph panels at three different locations.
“Those responsible have destroyed an irreplaceable part of our national cultural heritage,” said Bishop Field Manager Sherri Lisius in a press release. BLM also calls the site “one of the most significant rock art sites in the region [with] significant cultural importance to the local Tribes.”
The Archaeological Resources Protection Act protects the site where the vandalism occurred, and, therefore, a violation could result in felony charges. BLM says: “First-time offenders can be fined up to $20,000 and face up to two years in prison. Repeat offenders may face fines up to $100,000 and up to five years in prison.”
It appears the vandals broke off sections of rock from the petroglyph panels. When inspecting the photo below, look for the white section on the right-hand side (above center), where a chunk of rock appears to be missing. BLM has only provided this visual evidence of the vandalism, although it says the vandals struck three separate locations.
See one example of the recent vandalism to the petroglyphs at Volcanic Tableland:
If you have any information regarding this vandalism, please call 1-800-78-CRIME (27463).