Trump’s border wall construction threatens rock art as old as the pyramids: ‘The ancestors are still here’
The president’s border wall plan could damage or destroy ‘the oldest-known books in North America’
TL;DR
- Ancient human-like figures painted on rock walls in west Texas, some dating back 4,000 years, are at risk from border wall construction.
- Archeologist Carolyn Boyd describes these murals as "world-class masterworks" and "the oldest-known books in North America."
- The proposed "smart wall" involves steel bollard fencing, vehicle barriers, and surveillance, with construction planned through areas containing significant rock art.
- Vibrations from construction, including potential blasting, could cause "spalling" and damage the limestone rock art, even at a distance.
- The border barrier could also physically separate known murals from researchers and Indigenous communities.
- Local landowners and residents, along with some political leaders, oppose the wall's construction due to its potential impact on the environment and heritage.
- The Department of Homeland Security has waived federal laws to expedite construction, limiting environmental reviews and damage mitigation plans.
- The construction faces opposition from landowners like Patrick Zuberbueler and Raymond Skiles, who are concerned about damage to their properties and the cultural sites within them.