A team of archaeologists, have discovered the world’s oldest known cave art on Muna Island, an idyllic island in the Southeast Sulawesi province of Indonesia, known for its diverse culture, limestone karst formations, hilly terrain, dense teak forests, along with stunning natural features like Meleura beach, Napabale saltwater lagoon, and various freshwater springs.
The discovery was made in the Liang Metanduno limestone cave, believed to be the world’s oldest known example of cave art, dated at least 67.800 years old, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.
The artwork consists of reddish - coloured hand stencils with uniquely modified, claw - like, or pointed fingers.
The found hand stencil is considered globally distinctive due to its modified appearance: the finger outlines were deliberately narrowed after the image was created. Scientists suggest this alteration may reflect a much earlier and deep tradition of symbolic practices, human expressions or cultural meaning among early human populations in the region than previously known.
Scientists determined the artwork’s minimum age using uranium - series dating of microscopic layers that formed on and beneath the pigment.
According to an accurate study, the newly dated hand stencil is more than 15.000 years older than prervious rock art discoveries in the region, and older than the previous recorded holder, a hand stencil in Maltravieso cave in western Spain that shows some paintings dated over 66.000 years ago, suggesting they were created by Neanderhals.
Evidence also indicates that the cave was used repeatedly for artistic expression over a prolonged period, with paintings created across at least 35.000 years.
Archaeologists state the find provides critical insight into early human migration in Southeast Asia and the settlement of Sahul, the Pleistocene continent comprising Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania, occurred via maritime migration from Southeast Asoa, likely between 50.000 and 65.000 years ago.
Key Discovery Details: The rock art, discovered in the Liang Metanduno cave is much older than the previous record - holder, a hand stencil uncovered in 1951 in the Cave of Maltravieso in Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain, showing traces of human occupation from the Middle Palaeolithic.
• Artistic Features: The paintings, identified as hand stencils, show human hands placed on the wall with pigment blown over them. The fingers appear deliberately narrowed, suggesting a specific, possibly symbolic claw – like style.
• Methodology: Researchers used modern uranium - series dating techniques on small layers of calcium carbonate (cave popcorn) that had grown over the art to determine the minimum age.
• Implications: These findings, published in the journal Nature, suggest that the human capability for, or practice of producing cave art was already established, potentially even before early, modern humans entered Europe.
• Broader Context: While this is the oldest, other nearbu sites in Sulawesi province also revealed incredibly old art, including a 45.500 - year - old cave painting of a watry pig.
This discovery reinforces the idea that early artistic traditions were widespreaf across Asia, not just in Europe.
Link
https://tvbrics.com/en/news/archaeologists-discover-world-s-oldest-known-cave-art-in-indonesia/
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