An incident in the Spanish province of Jaen resulted in damage to ancient cave paintings due to careless actions of a local resident who wanted to take a spectacular photo for a social network. This event highlights the need to respect historical heritage and raises questions about the impact of modern technology on the preservation of ancient artifacts.
Rock Art
Failed Photography Attempt
A shocking incident occurred in the art world. In the southern part of Spain, namely in the province of Jaén, law enforcement agencies began an investigation into the defacement of ancient rock carvings. The culprit turned out to be a 39-year-old local from Los Villares, who, in an effort to take an impressive photo for Facebook, poured water on 6,000-year-old paintings in the Sierra Sur de Jaen mountains. This rash act led to damage to a unique historical monument.
The Value of Rock Art
The rock art in the Sierra Sur de Jaen is not just ancient paintings. They have the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in terms of their cultural significance are not inferior to such famous monuments as Stonehenge or the Great Wall of China. These drawings are among the oldest in the world, which underscores their exceptional historical value.
Progress of the investigation
The investigation was initiated in May after photographs of damaged drawings appeared online. Interestingly, the suspect himself unwittingly helped the investigators by publishing a post on Facebook indicating his location.
The problem of vandalism
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case of vandalism against ancient art. In 2022, unknown persons painted the image of the Spanish flag onto another cave painting nearby. A similar incident occurred in Australia, where 3,000-year-old cave paintings were damaged.
Climate threats
However, the greatest danger to ancient art is not vandals, but climate change. Rising sea levels are making it difficult to access some caves with rock art. For example, in Southern France there is a cave with images of prehistoric marine life, which can only be accessed by diving. Due to rising sea levels, access to it is becoming increasingly problematic, and the tides are beginning to erase ancient paintings.
Glossary
- UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- Facebook - a popular social network
- Stonehenge - a prehistoric stone structure in England
- The Great Wall of China - an ancient defensive structure in China
- Sierra Sur de Jaen - a mountain range in Spain
Links
- Smithsonian Magazine - Damage to Rock Art in Australia
- Gizmodo - Article about damage to rock art in Spain
Answers to questions
What happened to the ancient cave paintings in Spain?
What is the cultural value of the rock paintings in the Sierra Sur de Jaen ?
How did the police track down the suspect?
Have there been other cases of vandalism of ancient art?
What is the main threat to the preservation of ancient rock art?
Hashtags
Save a link to this article
Discussion of the topic – Shocking vandalism: 6,000-year-old rock art destroyed for Facebook likes
The article talks about a blatant case of vandalism in Spain, where a local resident damaged ancient cave art while trying to take a spectacular photo for social networks.
Latest comments
8 comments
Write a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are checked *
Lorenzo
This is what the pursuit of likes can lead to! 🤦♂️ Couldn’t you just photograph the drawings as they are? It seems that some people are ready to do anything for a spectacular shot.
Amelie
It's just terrible! 😡 Such ancient artifacts should be protected, and not destroyed for the sake of social networks. Maybe it’s worth restricting access to such places or installing surveillance cameras?
Hans
I agree with Amelie. It is necessary to strengthen the security of such objects. But I'm more concerned about the impact of climate change on ancient art. This is a global problem that is more difficult to solve than simply installing security. 🌍
Isabella
Yes, Hans, you are right about the climate. This is a truly serious threat. Maybe we should make digital copies of all the important cave paintings before it's too late? This way we will at least preserve information about them for future generations. 💾
Victor
Ugh, young people... They always need to change and improve something. And give them something that has stood untouched for centuries in a new form. There would be no need to leave everything as it is and admire the natural beauty. And in general, there is nothing to roam around there, only harm from it.
Sophia
Victor, I understand your dissatisfaction, but there is no need to generalize. Not all young people are like this. Many, on the contrary, actively participate in the preservation of cultural heritage. For example, I know volunteer programs for the protection of historical monuments. 🏛️
Lorenzo
Sophia is right. You can't cut everyone with the same brush. And about digital copies - great idea! Maybe even organize VR tours of caves with rock paintings? So we will limit access, and give everyone the opportunity to see this beauty. 🕶️
Amelie
Lorenzo, I love this VR idea! 😍 This will not only preserve the heritage, but also make it accessible to people with disabilities. This should definitely be proposed to UNESCO!