The Trump administration’s plans to expand border wall construction in west Texas have raised concerns among archeologists and heritage advocates about potential damage to ancient rock art murals dating back thousands of years. Carolyn Boyd, an archeologist at Texas State University who has spent 35 years studying sites in the region, describes the murals as world-class masterworks comparable in age to the Egyptian pyramids. The artwork was created by Indigenous hunter-gatherers using laboriously prepared materials and sophisticated techniques, with some figures stretching up to 30 feet tall.
Congress allocated $46.5 billion for border wall expansion in spending legislation, with plans to construct 165 miles of vehicle barriers and patrol roads through west Texas starting outside Big Bend National Park and extending to Lake Amistad. The construction corridor runs directly through Seminole Canyon State Park, which contains 27 documented murals. While the wall does not necessarily have to physically touch the artwork to cause damage, surveying for rock art is an extremely time-consuming process, and many sites may remain undiscovered before construction begins.
Boyd has emerged as a prominent advocate for protecting the region’s heritage, working with Indigenous communities to study the murals’ meanings and significance. The Trump administration’s border security plans have encountered broad opposition from local residents, business leaders, and political figures from both parties. Recent controversy led to a temporary halt of construction within Big Bend National Park after activists publicized videos of bulldozers operating in sensitive areas, though the broader wall expansion project continues moving forward at what critics describe as an accelerated pace.
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