Koonalda Cave is a sacred, protected site for Australia’s Mirning people, with cave art drawn by Ice Age humans indicating some of the earliest signs of Aboriginal life in the region.
TwitterA section of the limestone paintings in Koonalda Cave .
The about treeless desert part of the Nullarbor Plain in southerly Australia contains some of the country ’s most significant ancient artworks : a series of Ice Age finger paintings on the limestone walls of Koonalda Cave date back nearly 30,000 years . But in what has been called a “ massive , tragical loss , ” the cave ’s traditional owners late discover that the ancient graphics has been vandalized irreparably .
Speaking withThe Guardian , archaeologist Keryn Walshe , who specializes in ancient primal sites , explained , “ The surface of the cave is very soft . It is not possible to transfer the graffiti without destroying the art underneath . ”
TwitterA section of the limestone paintings in Koonalda Cave.
According to Walshe , the artwork was “ very pregnant ” to the Mirning the great unwashed and “ unique in Australia , ” having been registered as a national heritage site in 2014 because of this . In ordering to get to the cave , the vandals had to dig under a steel logic gate that was put in place back in the eighties to prevent these variety of incident from happening . Unfortunately , Walshe say the fence became “ inadequate ” over time , much to the defeat of expert and the Mirning masses .
Ina statement to CNN , a spokesperson for the South Australia country government described the vandalism as “ shocking and heartbreaking , ” adding that “ Koonalda Cave is of significant grandness to the Mirning People , and its tens of thou of geezerhood of history show some of the early evidence of Aboriginal line of work in that part of the land . ”
TwitterThe graffito left by the Vandal reads , “ Do n’t look now , but this is a death cave . ”
TwitterThe graffiti left by the vandals reads, “Don’t look now, but this is a death cave.”
“ If these vandal can be apprehended , they should confront the full force of the practice of law , ” they add together .
The South Australia state government has reportedly been working with traditional owners “ over recent months ” to develop “ a comprehensive program ” to protect the site , include establish security department cameras .
“ The existing fencing and universal difficulty in accessing the cave deters the immense majority of visitors from trespassing , ” the representative said . “ Live monitoring of the site via unopen electric circuit cameras is being considered to well protect the cave . ”
Mirning Elder Bunna Lawrie.
But a Mirning elder , Bunna Lawrie , contradict that instruction , saying he had been unaware of the hooliganism until it was reported by local media way out , despite the vandalism being brought to tending in July 2022 by Clare Buswell , chairwoman of the Australian Speleological Federation ’s Conservation Commission .
Mirning Elder Bunna Lawrie .
“ The nonstarter to build up an efficacious gate , or to make role of modern security services , such as wildlife monitoring cameras that operate 24/7 , has , in many ways , allow this vandalism to take place , ” Buswell indite at the time .
TwitterAn ancient Aboriginal painting in Koonalda Cave, which faces the risk of being permanently ruined should more incidents of vandalism occur.
The Mirning hoi polloi had similarly raised concern in the past tense over the underwhelming security of the sacred web site , which is only accessible to a small radical of male Mirning elder . The spiritual internet site is closed to the world , to carry on the wholeness of its metaphysical significance and its artwork .
“ We have opposed open our sacred place , as this would breach the protocols that have protected Koonalda for so long , ” a statement from the group said . “ Since 2018 we have been asking for financial support to insure the ingress as a precedence and to put up appropriate Mirning signage . This reinforcement did not take place . ”
Buswell recall the Mirning people ’s frustration , calling on the DoS government to increase security at the land site before further damage occurs .
TwitterAn ancient primal painting in Koonalda Cave , which faces the risk of being for good ruined should more incidents of vandalism occur .
“ It ’s plainly not good enough for the parson to say , ‘ Oh , we ’ll just increase the amount of fine or other punitory action , ' ” she aver . “ That ’s not what this is about . This is about bitch up surety . ”
Beyond the religious significance the site holds for the Mirning people , the Nullarbor Plain art provided diachronic and scientific note value for Australian researcher who , prior to the discovery , believed the country ’s indigenous universe only dated back to around 8,000 years ago .
Greg Hunt , who swear out as surround government minister when Koonalda Cave was designated as a national heritage web site , say , “ The find caused a sensation and forever switch the then - accept notions about where , when , and how Aboriginal masses lived on the Australian continent . ”
The Mirning people went on to say Koonalda “ is more than just a valued work of graphics , this run deep in our blood and identicalness . ”
“ All of our elders are devastated , shocked and wound by the recent profanation of this website , ” Lawrie say . “ We are in mourning for our sacred shoes . Koonalda is like our ancestor . Our ancestor left his tone in the wall , of the story , of the songline . ”
All across the earth , ancient web site are under threat of erasure and disrespect — like the nearly2,000 - year - one-time tabernacle that was destroyed by ISIS , or thesacred aboriginal American cave that was buy by an anonymous buyer .
