Border wall construction bulldozes 1,000-year-old intaglio in Arizona

A 1,000-year-old intaglio in Arizona's Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge was destroyed on April 24 by a Department of Homeland Security contractor building the US-Mexico border wall. The 280ft by 50ft etching, depicting a fish, was located 150ft from the border in a UNESCO biosphere sacred to the Hia-Ced O'odham. Lorraine Eiler, a Hia-Ced O'odham elder, said the tribe had warned DHS about the site's importance. The destruction was called an 'archaeological travesty' by Aaron Wright of Archaeology Southwest. Rick Martynec, a retired archaeologist, compared it to destroying the Nazca lines. The International Sonoran Desert Alliance's Aaron Cooper warned that lack of oversight endangers other cultural sites. DHS did not respond to requests for comment.