World’s Oldest Cave Painting Discovered in Indonesia

July 5, 2024

On the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, archaeologists have found the world’s oldest known cave picture with a date that can be trusted. This piece of art was found on the roof of Leang Karampuang cave. It was made at least 51,200 years ago. Figures that look like people and a wild pig are engaging in what looks like a scene from a story. This new information changed when the first known stories told through art happened.

Dating Technique

A new science method using a laser to date calcium carbonate crystals that formed on top of the painting was used to figure out how old the painting was. Maxime Aubert, an expert at Griffith University, says this method is completely new and could change the way rock art dating is done all over the world.

Details of the Artwork

The main image in the piece of art is a pig, and three smaller figures look like people. They are all colored in dark red. Figures are put in a way that makes them look like they are interacting, which is a hint at an early form of storytelling. Researchers think that the artwork’s careful placement of elements tells a clear story, though the exact story is still unknown.

Significance of the Find

Not only does the picture at Leang Karampuang come before the oldest cave paintings in Europe, it also calls into question the idea that cave art only started in Europe. Another lead researcher, Adam Brumm, says that this discovery changes how we think about the cognitive skills of our ancestors and how early human art spread across the world.

Implications for Human History

This finding shows that the ability to make art and tell stories started a lot earlier than was thought before. It may have been developed by the first Homo sapiens, who came to Australia from Southeast Asia about 65,000 years ago. The results show that early humans had very advanced thinking skills, such as the ability to use symbols and tell stories. This important discovery in Indonesia gives us new ways to think about how society and art have changed over time. Researchers will try to learn more about the people who made these paintings and look for other works of art that haven’t been found yet that might change how we think about ancient societies.

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