11 Most Endangered Historic Places
West Mesa Petroglyphs
Year Listed: 1988, 1989, 1990
Location: Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico
Threat: Deterioration, Development, Natural Forces, Neglect
The more than 15,000 West Mesa petroglyphs located outside of Alberqueque, NM are thought to have been created over a period of 3,000 to 5,000 years by hunter-gatherers, Anasazi farmers, and Spanish sheep herders. This area, a sacred Native American site, is threatened by development and individual vandalism.