Archaeologists have identified what is believed to be the world’s oldest known example of cave art – a hand stencil dated to at least 67,800 years ago – in a limestone cave on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island. This was reported by
Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.
The discovery was made in the Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island, part of Sulawesi’s extensive karst landscape. Scientists determined the artwork’s minimum age using uranium-series dating of microscopic mineral layers that formed on and beneath the pigment.
According to the study, the newly dated hand stencil is more than 15,000 years older than previous rock art discoveries in the region. 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.
Researchers state the find provides critical insight into early human migration in Southeast Asia and the settlement of Sahul – a palaeocontinent.
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 symbolic practices or cultural meaning among early human populations.
Photo: KvitaJan /
iStock
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