Indonesian rock art is decaying at an alarming rate due to the effects of climate change, researchers said.
A life-sized picture of a wild pig that was made at least 45,500 years ago in Indonesia.
Photo: Maxime Aubert / GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY / AFP
This includes a picture of a wild pig drawn 45,500 years ago on the island of Sulawesi - said to be the world's oldest animal cave painting.
Other cave motifs in the region depicting hunting scenes and supernatural beings have also crumbled faster as temperatures increase.
The findings signal that more needs to be done to preserve the priceless art.
"[These pieces of art are] disappearing before our eyes," study lead Dr Jillian Huntley, from the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, said in a statement.