Arizona Fire Threatens Hundreds of Ancient Sites

It is reported that hundreds of archaeological sites are under threat from a weeks-old, still raging wildfire (the Wallow Fire) in eastern Arizona and New Mexico which has already burned at least 1,900 square kilometers) including large swaths of Arizona's Apache and Sitgreaves National Forests and New Mexico's Gila National Forest. These areas contain thousands of known prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, including thousands of Native American (Mogollon Culture) settlements and the remnants of 19th-century wooden structures. These include ranches, cabins, old mines, and mills.

Attempts will be made to protect the most fire-sensitive or most important sites, but the rest will be left to their fate, says Bob Schiowitz, the U.S. Forest Service archaeologist for the Gila National Forest. "You can't go and look at all of the sites," Schiowitz said. "There's just no way to do that". The sites are now even more threatened because of a buildup of flammable material around them which has not always been removed in site management programmes, and this means that when the area is affected by wildfires, the effect on the sites is more catastrophic than in past centuries.

Retired archaeologist Fred Kraps noted that wildfires often expose previously unknown archaeological sites by burning off concealing surface material. This can be a silver lining for archaeologists—but only if they discover the new sites before the public does, said Kraps, who is president of the Yavapai Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society. "Looters and pot hunters can follow in on the fires," he said. "That happens a lot".

It is worth pointing out that - despite what US antiquity collectors would like everyone to believe - it is not just the so-called source countries of antiquities in the old World that has problems managing the archaeological sites on their territory. It is not just in these countries that looting of sites for collectable artefacts occurs. These are problems everywhere, including rich countries such as the United States.

Ker Than, 'Arizona Fire Threatens Hundreds of Ancient Sites', National Geographic Magazine, June 14, 2011

Smoke from the Wallow Wildfire surround trees in Eagar, Arizona, June 7, 2011.
(Photo: REUTERS / Joshua Lott)