World’s Oldest Cave Art Discovered in Indonesia
According to a joint study by Indonesian and Australian researchers published in the renowned scientific journal Nature, the cave art discovered on Muna Island in Sulawesi province is at least 67,800 years old. This makes it approximately 1,000 years older than the previous record-holder found in a cave in Spain.
The lead author of the study, Adhi Agus Oktaviana, explained that the "hand stencil" was created by placing a hand against the cave wall and blowing pigment or colored powder over it. Scientists achieved this precise dating by using advanced laser technology to analyze the ratio of uranium and thorium within the limestone layers covering the art.
"This discovery proves that modern humans were present in the Indonesian islands roughly 65,000 to 70,000 years ago," said Maxime Aubert, a researcher from Griffith University in Australia. "It reinforces the theory that early humans traveled by boat via the northern route through Sulawesi and Papua New Guinea to reach the vast landmass of 'Sahul'—the combined territory of present-day Australia and Papua New Guinea."
Researchers also confirmed that these caves were inhabited over vast periods. Evidence shows that new artworks were painted over some of the ancient stencils nearly 35,000 years later. Scientists believe these masterpieces were likely the work of the ancestors of Indigenous Australians. Experts suggest that this new discovery may require a total redrawing of the map of human civilization and migration.
