Researchers have potentially identified the world’s oldest rock art within a limestone cave in Indonesia, estimated to be about 67,800 years old, surpassing previous estimates by at least 1,100 years. A joint team of Australian and Indonesian scientists published their findings in Nature, revealing a partial hand stencil with outlined fingers on Muna, an island near Sulawesi. This artwork is older than the 66,000-year-old Neanderthal rock art in Spain, once thought to be the earliest of its kind.
The cave also contains more recent art dating back 20,000 years. Led by Griffith University and Southern Cross University in collaboration with Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency, the study offers insights into the human migration timeline to Sahul, a supercontinent that included modern-day Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea until about 18,000 years ago. Early human arrival in Sahul is estimated between 50,000 and 65,000 years ago, with Sulawesi as a probable migration route.
Indonesian archaeologist Adhi Agus Oktaviana, a co-author of the study, emphasized the significance of this discovery, suggesting that the creators of the Sulawesi paintings were ancestors to the First Australians who arrived 65,000 years ago. The study also noted modifications to the hand stencil, where early artists may have altered the fingers to resemble a “claw-like” shape, possibly reflecting symbolic beliefs.
Griffith University archaeologist Adam Brumm speculated that these changes could indicate a cultural connection between humans and animals. Maxime Aubert, another archaeologist and study co-leader, remarked that this finding advances understanding of Paleolithic visual culture. “Our research phase highlights Sulawesi as a center of one of the world’s most enduring artistic cultures, dating back at least 67,800 years,” Aubert stated.
