Ancient Treasures

Utah's redrock wilderness country is famous for its sinous slot canyons and soaring desert buttes, but deep within the folds of this remote landscape lie astonishing remnants of prehistoric cultures: cliff dwellings, stone towers, kivas, and rock art.  Utah's wilderness lands also harbor a rich array of ancient fossils, some found nowhere else in the world.

Unfortunately, this record -- one that took thousands of years to create -- is rapidly being erased.  Drill rigs, bulldozers, off-road vehicles (ORVs) and even hikers are pushing ever further, and in ever greater numbers, into the wilderness.  In the face of such pressures, prehistoric treasures are all too often damaged, destroyed, or stolen. 

SUWA works to preserve Utah's fragile archaeological sites, areas of cultural importance, and fossil remains from destructive development, and to encourage the Bureau of Land Management to consider fully the voice of Native Americans.

Preserving Prehistory Cover

Read SUWA's 2002 report on
Utah's ancient treasures.
 
(4MB PDF file)

 

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Ancient Treasures

Cedar Mesa

Images of ancient cultural sites on or near proposed wilderness lands in Utah.

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