Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, October 16, 2026 at 09:39 AM UTC

Wildfires threaten world's oldest cave art in South Sulawesi

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M Darwin Fatir, Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono

If human body heat affects these paintings, a wildfire is infinitely worse,

Makassar (ANTARA) - Spreading wildfires across the karst landscapes of South Sulawesi are threatening the world's oldest known cave art, warning archeologists that heat and soot could permanently destroy priceless prehistoric paintings.

"Fires occurring in archaeological sites—especially those holding rock art—risk causing damage if they are not put out," Griffith University archeologist Basran Burhan warned on Friday, following fires in Pangkep Regency's Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park.

The Maros-Pangkep region houses limestone cave art depicting babirusa wild pigs and hand stencils dating back more than 45,000 years, predating Europe’s famous Lascaux cave paintings.

Burhan cautioned that intense heat causes thermal expansion and micro-cracking in the limestone, triggering massive peeling of the ancient pigments.

"Even without direct flames touching the painting, extreme heat alters surrounding temperatures and accelerates weathering," Burhan explained.

"Thick smoke forms a layer of soot over the cave art, covering it like a black blanket. It obscures the images, making them hard to identify and hiding the pigments' original colors," he added.

Preservation efforts in the region are strictly managed by local cultural conservation authorities, which limit visitors to five people per cave to protect delicate microclimates.

"If human body heat affects these paintings, a wildfire is infinitely worse," Burhan stressed. "This is not just a wildfire issue, but an existential threat to the cave microenvironment."

Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park Chief Abdul Rajab reported that burned land expanded from 34.74 hectares on Monday to 93.43 hectares by Thursday.

Beyond threatening cultural heritage, the fires are damaging various native vegetation, biodiversity, and habitats of protected endemic wildlife across the karst landscape.

Meanwhile, recent wildfires in several parts of Indonesia, particularly Sumatra and Kalimantan, have burned extensive areas of forest and peatland, generating thick smoke that has degraded air quality, disrupted transportation, and forced some schools to close.

The resulting transboundary haze has spread beyond Indonesia, affecting neighboring countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines. The situation highlights the regional impact of forest and land fires during the dry season.

Authorities across Southeast Asia have responded with firefighting operations, air quality monitoring, and cross-border coordination amid growing concerns over the public health, environmental, and economic consequences of persistent smoke.

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