The cave paintings date back approximately 1,400 years and had been left free to the public since they were discovered in the 1960s.
However, they have now been ruined by graffiti and experts say they cannot be restored.
The cave paintings are in the caves of Anzota, in the Arica province of northern Chile.
Photos of the graffiti were posted to social media by the singer Felipe Sandoval, who wrote: “Outrageous. The rock carvings of alpaca belonging to the Tiwanaku culture in the caves of Anzota, Arica (600AD approx.) were marked with spray paint. Irreparable damage to our heritage.” The Tiwanaku culture lasted from 300 AD to 1150 AD and spread from Bolivia into present-day Peru and Chile.
Marcela Sepulveda, an archaeologist from the University of Tarapaca, told local media: “Any form of intervention to clean it will equally affect the wall art.” The caves have been open to the public for over 40 years and the local council have never employed security guards at the site.
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The mountain path where the caves are located was recently restored by the Ministry of Public Works to promote tourism in the region, but the paintings themselves were left out of the restoration.
Sepulveda told reporters that the interest in the caves “is an opportunity to do a serious and systematic study” on the paintings.
Local Police have not commented on the situation.