Hundreds of archaeological sites, among them 6,000-year-old cave paintings, face possible harm as the Trump administration seeks to expand its southern border barrier in Texas’s Big Bend region.
Amanda Castañeda, archaeology director of the Shumla Archaeological Research and Education Center, told Hyperallergic that at least 425 Texas archaeological sites, including 84 intricate cave murals, could be affected by a Trump administration proposal for a $46 billion “smart wall” along the United States-Mexico border. The project would combine physical barriers with artificial intelligence-powered surveillance infrastructure.
On Monday, July 27, the federal government exempted the wall from environmental preservation laws, including the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The administration says the region is a “high illegal entry” point for undocumented migrants.
That characterization has been challenged by descriptions of the area as “remote, harsh, and seldom trafficked by migrants.” Castañeda said the proposed route poses a serious threat because it moves in and out of different canyons.
“This [border wall] route goes in and out of different canyons, so the potential for damage to these rock art sites and just archaeology in general is very large,” Castañeda said in a phone call.
