Petroglyph thief

[yuccahead]

This is kind of unbelievable and I hope he gets the maximum penalty though it won't restore the damage he did.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
NPS Assists Forest Service In Petroglyph Theft Case

A man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on felony charges that he unlawfully removed and damaged a large petroglyph from Forest Service lands in the Spring Mountains National Recreational Area near Pahrump, Nevada. Michael Cook, 57, of Pahrump, is charged with one count of violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. If convicted, Cook faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is charged under the felony provisions of the statute because the archeological resource is valued at more than $500. According to the indictment, between March and September 2008, Cook knowingly excavated, removed, damaged, and otherwise altered and defaced a large petroglyph depicting seven sheep from Spring Mountains NRA without a permit or exemption. Nye County Sheriff’s Department officials discovered the rock containing the petroglyph in Cook’s front yard in Pahrump on June 24, 2009, and reported it to the Forest Service. The rock weighed about 200 pounds. Cook was issued a summons and is scheduled for an initial appearance and arraignment on Friday, February 26th. This investigation is being conducted by the Forest Service, with the assistance of the law enforcement team of the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP) which includes the Forest Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service (Lake Mead National Recreation Area), and the Bureau of Land Management. [Submitted by Andrew S. Muñoz, Public Affairs Officer]

[reptilist]

Such brazen stupidity~

Calls for maximum exposure!

[Plays In The Dirt]

Is the willful and permanent damage caused by uncaring individuals and groups as depicted below. Initials and club emblems scratched in Petroglyph Panels can never be removed and a part of our history is gone forever. I've seen a lot of this destruction in my travels to the more popular Petroglyph locations, thankfully I seldom to never go to these areas anymore as I know of many locations that are unknown that I Photograph. I hope that they throw the book at that Petroglyph thief, and equal punishment to anyone caught destroying our country's history.

[SteveS]

... If convicted, Cook faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine... ]

I hope he gets both and has to pay for the repairs and a sign to explain why the repairs where needed and what his penalty was. My WAG is people who think sealing is OK, can’t (or won’t) read anything anyway, but the sign would make non-thiefs feel better.

I have always been amazed at the amount of time people will spend to damage rock art.

[Sandman]

I hope the judge gives him the maximum sentance and the case continues to get maximum publicity. Considering the fact that some petroglyphs in the mojave desert pre date the pyramids in Egypt by several thousand years, damage and theft to the cultural sites of antiquity is completely unacceptable.

[desert wanderer]

This truly sickens and saddens me! I cherish and relish petroglyphs! It's one of my hobbies to seek out, observe, and revel in the ancient history recorded on the desert murals. I simply cannot comprehend the selfish reasoning of the thieves! I sometimes sit and ponder the folks who came before us all. I imagine that they sat or stood in that exact spot, incising their compulsions and imagination, where I am standing. I hope that they incur all that they deserve, legally.

[gordon]

The ironic thing about this whole situation is that if the individual had taken a rock with someones modern day graffiti he would be hailed as someone cleaning up someone else trash. Dont get me wrong though I feel he should be clobbered to the fullest extent the law will allow, I just was struck by the irony of it.

[gollum]

People like that REALLY do something to me.

If you like a petroglyph you see, take a picture. Then get a similar type rock and take it home. Recreate the petroglyph yourself. You can do it with a Dremel Tool if you are too lazy to peck it out.

There are people who make a good living doing just that online. Its REALLY not difficult to do.

Best-Mike

[Plays In The Dirt]

The ironic thing about this whole situation is that if the individual had taken a rock with someones modern day graffiti he would be hailed as someone cleaning up someone else trash. Dont get me wrong though I feel he should be clobbered to the fullest extent the law will allow, I just was struck by the irony of it.

I don't know why I missed this post. You have a point Gordon, however, the Petroglyph's from hundreds and thousands of years ago were the only means in which ancient Indian Tribes had to communicate with each other. There were no phones, postal service, Internet - etc. unlike today. And too, the land and rock structures in which they left their messages was their home, unlike today where taggers leave their messages on privately owned buildings, freeway overpasses, and anywhere else they can paint their messages. It's a far different scenario between then and now.

[gordon c. snelling]

You wont get any argument from me about the differences of the situation.