An article on CNN from Jack Guy - Man under investigation in Spain for pouring water on ancient cave paintings to get a sharper photo - reports on Spanish authorities investigating a man who allegedly damaged cave paintings thousands of years old by pouring water on them in order to take better photos for social media.

Some of the damaged cave paintings. Image: La Guardia Civil.

A 39-year-old man from Los Villares, in Jaén province in Andalucia, southern Spain, uploaded photos of the wet paintings to Facebook, according to a statement from the Guardia Civil published on Saturday.

A member of Spain's Guardia Civil at one of the caves. Image: La Guardia Civil.

The paintings affected, which are in various locations in the Sierra Sur de Jaén mountain range, are protected on the country’s heritage register, and the man is under investigation for a crime against historical heritage, said the statement.

Officers from the Guardia Civil’s nature protection service (Seprona) launched an investigation in May after seeing the photos online. “The photographs show that water has been poured onto the cave paintings, wetting them in order to see them better and capture a clearer image,” the statement reads.

The cave paintings were made on limestone, which contains water-soluble salts. When water is poured on the paintings, these salts dissolve and then come to the surface when the water evaporates, leaving a crust that causes “irreparable damage” to the paintings, according to the Guardia Civil.

The law enforcement agency, which is responsible for protecting Spain’s historical heritage, called on residents to report any signs of damage or vandalism to cave paintings.

Note from the Editor: this was the sad fate of the famous 'White Lady of Brandberg' - Daureb Mountain - in Namibia. This exquisite white-hued figure, in fact a male not a female, has become faded by generations of visitors hoping to enhance the image by pouring on water to heighten the contrast in the glaring light. Sad but true.