When you hear the word “endangered,” your thoughts might immediately jump to the countless animal species who face grave threats throughout the world. Land and monuments, however, face many dangers of their own in the United States, and there’s one breathtaking area that remains particularly vulnerable to human harm. According to a report by the National Trust For Historic Preservation, the Ancestral Places of Southeast Utah sit atop the list of America’s most endangered historical destinations.
Flickr/mypublicland The Ancestral Places of Southeast Utah are situated between two marvelous national monuments: Bears Ears and Canyon of the Ancients.
Flickr/CEBImages The region housing the Ancestral Places contains a vast array of sacred sites and trails that offer a fascinating insight into the lives of indigenous populations. In total, these sites contain approximately 8,000 square miles of artifacts, petroglyphs, and more.
Flickr/Robert Shea Throughout the region, archaeologists and historians have unveiled everything from cliffside dwellings to pictographs, all of which lend invaluable insight into the history of early dwellers in the region. This section of modern-day Utah once housed the Pueblo, Navajo, Hopi, and Ute tribes. Tragically, the region has remained largely unprotected from destructive modern oil and gas extraction.
Flickr/Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management Despite the many dangers facing this stunning section of the country, many of the Ancestral Places have received support from the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation itself - but the area’s future remains fragile and uncertain.
For a complete list of America’s most endangered historical locales, click here. Have you visited any of the destinations in the report issued by the National Trust for Historic Preservation? We’d love to hear about your experiences and see your photos in the comment section below.
Flickr/mypublicland
The Ancestral Places of Southeast Utah are situated between two marvelous national monuments: Bears Ears and Canyon of the Ancients.
Flickr/CEBImages
The region housing the Ancestral Places contains a vast array of sacred sites and trails that offer a fascinating insight into the lives of indigenous populations. In total, these sites contain approximately 8,000 square miles of artifacts, petroglyphs, and more.
Flickr/Robert Shea
Throughout the region, archaeologists and historians have unveiled everything from cliffside dwellings to pictographs, all of which lend invaluable insight into the history of early dwellers in the region. This section of modern-day Utah once housed the Pueblo, Navajo, Hopi, and Ute tribes. Tragically, the region has remained largely unprotected from destructive modern oil and gas extraction.
Flickr/Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management
Despite the many dangers facing this stunning section of the country, many of the Ancestral Places have received support from the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation itself - but the area’s future remains fragile and uncertain.
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