AMISTAD Cultural Resources Study

A prime opportunity now exists for the American people to protect one of the richest and best-documented records of continuous human occupation in the New World. The prehistory and history of the Amistad Reservoir Basin, Lower Pecos River region, Texas, can only be described in superlatives: Experts consider Lower Pecos River Archeological Region rock art (paintings on rock faces called "pictographs," and carvings on rock faces called "petroglyphs") world class, and comparable to the rock art of Europe, Australia, and America's Baja California. The Lower Pecos River region also features some of the oldest dated, and best-preserved archeological deposits in North America. In addition, the region echoes with fascinating events and stories of the many people who passed through during historic times. Some of these outstanding resources are already protected by the National Park Service at Amistad National Recreation Area (NRA), but many either lie outside the authorized boundary of the NRA or remain in private ownership within the authorized boundaries.

To provide Federal protection for the nationally significant—and in some cases seriously imperiled—rock art and other archeological and historic resources of the Lower Pecos River region, Congress has authorized the National Park Service to make minor revisions to the authorized boundary, and to acquire lands and interests in land within this revised boundary up to a total of 58,500 acres. Currently, there are approximately 57,292 acres in Federal ownership, allowing for an additional 1,208 acres to be acquired. In suppart of this protection effort, Congress requested that the National Park Service prepare a study of the cultural resources integral to Amistad National Recreation Area, designed to identify the resources, indicate their locations, determine their integrity and condition, describe some of their characteristics, and evaluate their significance.

This study follows.

Devils River, large red-painted mountain lion, over 6 feet long. Source: David Muench