Past Horizons recently posted this illuminating article on vandalism in the Deer Rock Art Center in Arizona, which has the largest concentration of Native American petroglyphs in the Phoenix Valley, dating between 500 to 7000 years ago. Not only are historical sites in the area suffering defacement, but looters are hacking out chunks of rock art and "dislodging anything they can carry away". There will be a free panel discussion Saturday, February 5, at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center to talk about how the sites can be protected by teaching the public to value them. If you're in the area, you should seriously consider going.
The article also provides this Flickr site of rock art vandalism. Horrifying and enlightening.
Hypocritical narrow mindedness.The only differences in the old and new vandalism, is the medium of choice and how much time has passed. One chipped away at a rock, another painted it. No difference.
ReplyDeleteI guess the statute of limitation offers up more than just dismissal of penalties. If you wait long enough, your vandalism gets to be historical.
La diferencia es simple de entender. No solo el tiempo transcurrido diferencia arte pictografico de vandalismo, sino que hablamos de vandalismo, cuando se produce un daño en una obra preexistente. Asi de sencillo: ahora o hace 1000 años, una pictografia original, que pone arte donde no lo habia no es vandalismo: el que daña lo anterior lo es. Basta recurrir al diccionario para leer la definicion de ambos términos. Es quizas la misma distincion entre las personas que procuran aportar algo positivo a su comunidad, y aquellos cuyo accionar es destructivo. Es hipocrita no querer ver la diferencia, la misma que hay entre la tolerancia y el reconocimiento del derecho del projimo, y la obsesion psicopata de hacer la propia voluntad a costa de otras personas y de la comunidad. Es ese egoismo y prescindencia del bien de las personas y la comunidad, lo que se llama delito, y uno de ellos: vandalismo.
DeleteThe difference is simple to understand. Not only the time difference pictographic art of vandalism, but we speak of vandalism, when damage occurs in an existing work. It's that simple now or 1000 years ago, a pictograph original art that places where it had not vandalism: damage above which it is. Simply use the dictionary to read the definition of both terms. It is perhaps the same distinction between people who seek to contribute something positive to their community, and those whose actions are destructive. It is hypocritical not to see the difference, the same as that between tolerance and recognition of the right neighbor, and psycho obsession to own will at the expense of others and the community. Is that selfishness and disregard the good of individuals and the community, what is called crime, and one of them vandalism.
DeleteVandalism will always be vandalism, no matter how historical. Even archaeologists know that. The rock art in these areas happens to not be vandalism but high art with historical significance. Their existence is made more significant by the fact that information about the cultures who made this art is very scant due to genocide and looting. I believe they have the right to not have their contribution to the world, to this continent, to history, and to our existence, yours and mine both, violated and erased by the selfish actions of uncaring people. You are, of course, entitled to your opinion, but the belief held by myself, millions of others, and the U.S. government is that defacing places and objects of archaeological significance is a crime. Thank you for commenting! You have just added greatly to the conversation on this blog.
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