World's oldest art under threat from cement mining in Indonesia

Hunting scene dated to 40,000 years ago ‘crumbling before our eyes’, say scientists

Krithika Varagur in Jakarta
Fri 21 Feb 2020 06.26 EST

The oldest known figurative paintings in the world, located near a cement mine in Indonesia, are under threat from industry, scientists have warned.

In December, cave paintings depicting a hunting scene in the Indonesian island of Sulawesi were dated to at least 40,000 years ago.

But their condition is fragile. They are located inside land controlled by the Tonasa Cement Company, which determines who is allowed to visit the site. Although Tonasa has cooperated with local bodies to secure the area, mining continues all around the site.

Regional officials and scientists are now racing to funnel more protection and resources into the archaeologically significant region of Maros-Pangkep in South Sulawesi, where even more ancient discoveries may lie.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/feb/21/worlds-oldest-art-under-threat-from-cement-mining-in-indonesia-sulawesi