Heat and smoke from wildfires could damage ancient cave paintings on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, researchers told Reuters on October 23.

Archaeologist Basran Burhan warned that temperature changes can accelerate deterioration even without flames touching the art; soot can also obscure it.

Firefighter Muhammad Ikfar said earlier fires approached within 800 metres of a Maros-Pangkep cave. The account describes a threat, not confirmed destruction of the paintings.

Source: Reuters.

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