You may have heard El Paso in the news this month when Castner Range was finally established as a National Monument by President Biden on March 21st!🎉
Today we bring you a little #ChucoThrowbackThursday history on this area.⛰️
This 6,672 acres of land includes 41 archaeological sites that show evidence of human presence (hearths, structure remains, rock art, stone tools, arrowheads, and pottery pieces) dating back to 6,000 BC!
The area was inhabited by Native American tribes before the Department of Defense acquired it in the 1920s, after which it was used by Fort Bliss for weapons training until the late 1960s, when the city had expanded too close for this to continue. With the fear of further development into the mountains, several community groups led efforts to make Castner Range a National Monument, with @ep_fronteralandalliance leading a study to learn more about the area’s historical significance.
The national monument designation means Castner Range is now protected, and all its scientific, cultural, ecological, geological, and historical values, not to mention its beautiful landscape!⛰️
📸:
Pic 2- Mark Lambiel/El Paso Times
Pic 3- El Paso Museum of Archaeology
Pic 4- El Paso Museum of Archaeology
Pic 5- Art print by @vandy_doodle
