Prehistoric stone carvings near a famous Utah beauty spot have been defaced, authorities said.
The Utah Bureau of Land Management said Friday that it was investigating two incidents of vandalism involving ancient petroglyph panels in the Moab area.
One of the incidents defiling the Native American rock art happened along Highway 279, while the second occurred near Hell's Revenge.
In both cases, individuals carved their names into or near the prehistoric art panels, according to authorities.
The panels, which authorities said were 'irreplaceable cultural resources,' are protected under federal law with the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.
Vandalism of archaeological resources is a federal offense that can lead to imprisonment, fines and exclusion from public lands.
'Our cultural resources are part of our shared heritage,' the Utah Bureau of Land Management wrote. 'Once damaged, they cannot be restored to their original condition.'
As of Friday afternoon, authorities have not named any suspects for the two vandalism incidents.
The Utah Bureau of Land Management said Friday that it was looking into vandalism of prehistoric petroglyph panels near Moab
The panels are protected under federal law with the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. Vandalism of archaeological resources can result in prison time
One of the vandalized carvings is called the Bear Panel, according to Utah Bureau of Land Management.
The extent of the damage there was graffiti near the bear petroglyph and directly beside a depiction of a bighorn sheep.
One of the scribblings on the panel appeared to say 'Meru' though it was not clear what that meant.
The second site saw a name that appeared to be 'Craig' sprawled across the panel and covering several figures.
A Utah Bureau of Land Management spokesperson told the Daily Mail that they planned to treat the damage in the coming days.
The spokesperson said 'low–impact conservation techniques' could remove the chalky residue but deeper incisions made in the soft sandstone could remain.
'While the appearance of this type of vandalism can often be reduced, it cannot always be fully removed,' the spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
A shot of the ancient carving known as the Bear Panel near before it was defaced
The Utah Bureau of Land Management will begin treating the vandalism near Moab in the coming days
The bureau urged the public to not attempt to remove the existing vandalism on their own.
Other petroglyphs near the Moab area depict a birthing scene and hunting figures.
The ancient carvings have been defiled before as vulgar and racist graffiti were scribbled across the panels in 2021, according to FOX13.
Then, the vandals blemished the birthing scene panel with graphic images and the message, 'White Power.'
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