Officials respond to vandalism that damaged a petroglyph rock at Wrangell beach site

Petroglyph Beach is one of the town’s most visited tourist attractions, with several thousand people a year learning about the carvings and seeing the pieces on the beach, particularly at low tide. There are at least 40 carvings, which archaeologists believe were carved about 8,000 years ago by early Lingít.

A meter stick alongside the damaged petroglyph rock shows the size of the stone. (Courtesy/USDA Forest Service)

A petroglyph rock was found split in half last month, apparently damaged by someone attempting to remove the ancient carving, according to borough and U.S. Forest Service officials.

“Petroglyph Beach is more than a scenic destination. It is a sacred site and irreplaceable cultural resource,” the borough said in its report to the public on July 28. “The…