The Verde Valley Archaeology Center is continuing its mission to preserve and protect sites of historical importance throughout the region.
To that end, the center has recently received grant money to help protect archaeological sites from vandalism.
“Earlier this year, the destruction of a prehistoric dwelling in the Sedona Uptown area received significant coverage in the local press as well as on social media,” according to an announcement from the center. “In 2013, a large prehistoric village in Cornville was vandalized by pothunters who dug up a large area apparently looking for artifacts. A large hilltop pueblo owned by the Archaeological Conservancy in Cornville was vandalized in 2012. Instances of graffiti and artifact collection have occurred repeatedly.”
The grant funding totals $10,000 and was given by the Arizona Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization that donates to endeavors around the Grand Canyon State.
The money is going to be used for three separate projects.
The first goal is to work on recruiting as many as 100 site stewards to look after areas of historical significance.
Because of the risk of vandalism, the center often works to keep the locations of historic archaeological sites as vague as possible.
“Unfortunately one of the ways we have to protect sites is to keep them hidden,” said Ken Zoll, the center’s executive director.
The center is more than happy to show people around the sites as long as the visits are supervised, and Zoll said the people who sign up for such trips are less likely to be vandals in the first place.
Training for these volunteers is expected to begin early next year, Zoll said.
The second part of the grant program involves a public outreach campaign.
“We’ll be working out the final details in the fall,” Zoll said.
To read the full story, see the Wednesday, Aug. 26, edition of The Camp Verde Journal.
