2004 Most Endangered

Most Endangered Places in New Mexico 2004

• Albuquerque Locomotive Shops, Bernalillo County
  
• Motel Blvd. / Old U.S. Highway 80
  
• Aztec Ruins National Monument
  
• Marked and Unmarked Cemeteries Throughout New Mexico
  
• Mesa Prieta
  
• The Hoyle House
  
• Traditional Village of Agua Fria
  
• Folsom Hotel
  
• Lake Valley Ghost Town
  
• Valle Vidal Unit
  
• St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church
  

Mesa Prieta

(also known as Black Mesa), Rio Arriba County. Nominated by Katherine Wells, Vecinos del Rio

SIGNIFICANCE Mesa Prieta is a 1,000-foot-high escarpment located on the west side of the Rio Grande between San Juan Pueblo and Embudo. A large number of petroglyphs and other archaeological features are evidence of historic and prehistoric occupation of the area going back 9,000 years. In the late prehistoric period it is believed to have been a center of religious and ceremonial activity of the Tewa people.

The most extensive occupation and ceremonial use of the site occurred during the Pueblo IV period from about 1300 to 1600 AD. A large percentage of the estimated 20,000 rock images on the mesa were done during this period. The mesa also served as an agricultural area, as evidenced by many mulch gardens and water control systems. In historic times the mesa has been important economically for cattle and sheep grazing, and for the past few centuries has served as the prominent backdrop of the historic Los Luceros ranch, now being restored by the Los Luceros Foundation.

The petroglyphs exhibit diverse styles, methods of production, and a range of subject matter comparable to Petroglyph National Monument and the Galisteo Basin. Many show a high degree of skill, careful execution, and sense of design, and retain their power to connect current viewers to those who made them.

THREAT Over the past decade, areas of the mesa rich in archaeological resources have been mined for gravel and riprap. Some petroglyphs have disappeared and their context has been destroyed. Grazing has also damaged archaeological sites. Other threats include vandalism, ill-considered development (a developer has cut a road up the mesa?s slope to provide access to proposed houses on top), and damage from off-road vehicles. Much of the rock art is vulnerable because of its close proximity to a public road. Gravel mining and more than a century of accelerated erosion are grinding away at the landform?s body.