Ancient cave art in Indonesia is threatened by modern climate change, say researchers. Linda Siagian
Ancient cave art in Indonesia is threatened by modern climate change, say researchers. Linda Siagian
Ancient cave art in Indonesia is threatened by modern climate change, say researchers. Linda Siagian
Ancient cave art in Indonesia is threatened by modern climate change, say researchers. Linda Siagian

World’s oldest cave paintings deteriorating at alarming rate


Paul Peachey
  • English
  • Arabic

Climate change is accelerating the deterioration of some of the world's oldest cave paintings that date back about 45,0000 years, researchers found.

Analysis of cave art at 11 sites at Maros-Pangkep, in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, indicates that rising global temperatures and severe weather events are creating conditions leading the rock surfaces to break up, a study published in Scientific Reports said.

The artwork in the area includes what is believed to be the world’s oldest hand stencil, created by pressing a hand against a cave wall and spraying wet red-mulberry pigments over it. There are also pictures of wild pigs and hunting figures in the area.

The study suggests that changes in temperature and humidity from periods of heavy rainfall to drought promote the formation of salt crystals on the surface of the rocks and lead to fragments breaking off.

The increased number of severe weather events caused by man-made climate change are believed to accelerate the process.

“The equatorial tropics house some of the earliest rock art yet known, and it is weathering at an alarming rate,” the researchers said.

They warned that the continually rising temperatures had “grave implications for the conservation of this globally significant cultural heritage”.

Conservation staff monitor the degredation of the rock art in Maros-Pangkep, Indonesia. Rustan Lebe
Conservation staff monitor the degredation of the rock art in Maros-Pangkep, Indonesia. Rustan Lebe

Conservation efforts and monitoring are needed to protect the art in the limestone caves that was first discovered by archaeologists in the 1950s, said the paper’s author Jillian Huntley, of Griffith University in Australia.

Before the discoveries in Indonesia, early Europeans were thought to have been the first to paint cave walls about 40,000 years ago. But the paintings in South Sulawesi are thought to be as old or even older.

The art effectively tracks the departure of early humans out of Africa about 100,000 years ago and their migrations to Europe and Asia.

THE SPECS

      

 

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Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

The biog

Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer

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Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran

Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food

Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish

Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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RESULT

Fifth ODI, at Headingley

England 351/9
Pakistan 297
England win by 54 runs (win series 4-0)

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Schedule:

Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore

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UAE SQUAD

Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

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Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

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The specs

Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric

Transmission: n/a

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 659Nm

Price estimate: Dh200,000

On sale: Q3 2022