Spanish Authorities Investigate Man Who Damaged Thousands Of Years Old Cave Painting For Social Media Photos

Damage to cave paintings. (Source: La Guardia Civil)

JAKARTA - Spanish authorities are investigating a man who allegedly damaged a thousands-year-old cave painting by sprinkling water, in order to take better photos for social media.

A 39-year-old man from Los Villares, Jaern Province, Andalusia, southern Spain, posted a photo of a wet painting to Facebook, according to a statement from Guardia Civil.

Affected paintings, located in various locations in the Sierra Sur de Jaern mountains, are protected on the state heritage list. The man is being investigated for crimes against historical heritage, the statement said.

Officers from the natural protection service Guardia Civil (Seprona) launched an investigation in May, after seeing the photos online.

"The photos show that the water has been poured into cave paintings, wetting them so they can see them better and capturing clearer pictures," the statement read, according to CNN Aug. 8.

The cave paintings are made on limestone, which contains salt that is soluble in water. When water is poured into the paintings, these salts dissolve and then appear to the surface as water evaporates, leaving the crust causing "irreparable damage" to the paintings, according to Guardia Civil.

The law enforcement agency, which is responsible for protecting the Spanish historical heritage, called on citizens to report signs of damage or vandalism to cave paintings.

Apart from Spain, reports of damage to historical objects have also been reported in Italy.

In September, a 22-year-old German was detained in Florence on charges of damaging a statue in the 16th-century Neptune Fountain of Piazza della halia, city authorities said in a statement.

The tourist, unnamed, climbed a protective barrier around the monument early in the morning and posed on the statue while two of his friends, who remained on the other side of the barrier, took photos of him, the city said in a statement, citing police officers watching the incident through surveillance camera footage.