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

via The Guardian, 21 February 2020: I remember visiting the Maros region a few years ago to visit some of the rock art sites, and hearing some of the blasting nearby. The danger to the sites by mining was highlighted in an earlier story.

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.

Source: World’s oldest art under threat from cement mining in Indonesia | Science | The Guardian