Vandals damage ‘irreplaceable’ ancient carvings at historic site in Georgia forest
One of the most important pre-Colonial historic sites in the Southeastern United States has been damaged by vandals.
Known as Track Rock Gap, the Georgia site about 90 miles northeast of Atlanta hosts an extensive series of rock carvings (petroglyphs) dating back 1,000 years, experts say.
The ancient carvings are notorious for inspiring wild origin stories, including theories of a Mayan settlement in the region.
“We regret to report the vandalism of a protected historic site on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a Facebook post Monday.
“When looters and vandals destroy archaeological and historic sites, part of the Nation’s heritage is lost forever.”
Photos shared on Facebook show the vandals used a variety of means to damage the petroglyphs, including scratching them beyond recognition and painting on top of them in bright colors. The carvings are considered “irreplaceable,” officials said.
“There appear to be five boulders that have been carved on and two painted,” forest service officials told McClatchy News on Tuesday.
“United States Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations unit is work with the US Department of Justice to prosecute the violations.”
It is suspected the damage may have occurred months ago, perhaps in 2020, officials said. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests cover 867,000 acres across 26 counties.
Archaeologists have attributed the rock art to the Creek and Cherokee peoples who have inhabited the region for centuries. The Cherokee Tribal Heritage Preservation Office, based in North Carolina, issued a statement Monday condemning the destruction.
“The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is sad and frustrated to learn that Track Rock had been vandalized,” the office said.
“These are special and rare sites. They are special sites for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and for all people as part of the Heritage of this region. Whether through ignorance or malice — the result is irreparable damage to a unique site that connects us directly to the people of the past.”
More than 100 images are carved into soap stone boulders at the Track Rock Gap site, including “a wide range of figures,” vulvas, football shapes and feet, the forest service says.
Stories of a Mayan connection to the site were once so prevalent that the forest service conducted research to dispute the idea in 2012. No Mayan artifacts were found in the area, officials said.
The same research confirmed the site is Native American and “dates to at least AD 800 based on some artifacts ... and maybe earlier,” officials said.
“There’s a whole series of rock piles, and linear rock features that look like rock walls out there,” the forest service says. “The site was probably used repeatedly for several hundred years, maybe a thousand years or more. It’s an important site.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2021 at 9:27 AM with the headline "Vandals damage ‘irreplaceable’ ancient carvings at historic site in Georgia forest."