Sometimes, people’s ideas can really push the boundaries. In Spain, a man destroyed a 6,000-year-old cave painting while taking a photo for his Facebook page. Thinking “What can I do to make the photo better?”, he tried to make the painting look brighter by pouring water on it. Here are the details…
Man Destroys 6,000-Year-Old Cave Painting for Facebook Photo in Spain
The incident occurred in a famous cave in the Sierra Sur de Jaén mountains in the Jaén province of Spain. The cave paintings, which were destroyed for the sake of a Facebook photo, are considered world heritage, akin to Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China, and are among the oldest works of art in the world.
According to El País, the police are investigating the vandalism and have questioned a 39-year-old man from Los Villares in connection with the incident. The man had shared photos of the damaged paintings on Facebook and tagged his location. Authorities had little trouble finding him.
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Unfortunately, cave paintings are under threat not only from vandals but also from the relentless passage of time and climate change. As the world warms and sea levels rise, accessing these artworks becomes more challenging.
For instance, in Southern France, there is a cave depicting prehistoric marine life, but reaching it requires diving beneath the Mediterranean. Changing tides and rising sea levels are causing these artworks to gradually disappear.
Clearly, there is a difference between the natural erosion of cave paintings and their destruction for a Facebook photo. It is truly concerning that people would intentionally damage such valuable historical artifacts. What do you think about this? How do you view the destruction of historical works in this way? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
