Vandals destroy 30,000-year-old Aboriginal art

December 21 (United Press International) — Vandals have destroyed a 30,000-year-old carving in Coonalda Cave on South Australia’s Nullarbor Plain, with the words “don’t look now but this is a death cave” over the ancient artwork.

“It’s frankly astounding that these caves are the earliest evidence of Aboriginal occupation of the area for 20 to 30,000 years, possibly much earlier than that,” South Australia Attorney-General and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher said. abc radio“It was the worst act of vandalism I can think of,” he added.

Maher said the vandals had caused “tremendous damage” and the artwork could not be recovered.

“The surface of the cave is very soft. It is impossible to remove the graffiti without destroying the art underneath. To deface it to this extent is a huge, tragic loss.”

Maher promised that vandals would face consequences if caught.

“It’s being investigated, and if there’s any way we can determine who these individuals are, they will risk being prosecuted and face the full force of the law,” Maher said. “Currently, the penalty for violating Aboriginal heritage laws and destroying Aboriginal heritage can be up to six months in prison and a $10,000 fine, and we are absolutely committed to increasing penalties that have been at that level since 1988.”

concern Been proposed Regarding the vandalism of the site in June, but the security has not improved enough.

Clare Buswell, chair of the Conservation Committee of the Australian Speleological Federation, submitted a submission to the Aboriginal Lands Council Standing Committee in July.

“Failure to establish effective gates, or to take advantage of modern security services, such as wildlife surveillance cameras operating 24/7, contributed in many ways to this vandalism,” she wrote in her filing.