67,800-Year-Old Hand Stencil in Sulawesi Cave Dated as World's Oldest Known Rock Art
Researchers from Griffith University, Indonesia's BRIN, and Southern Cross University have identified a hand stencil in Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island, southeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia, as the oldest reliably dated rock art in the world, with a minimum age of 67,800 years. The artwork, a partial hand stencil modified to have a claw-like appearance by narrowing the finger outlines, was dated using uranium-series analysis of overlying calcite layers. This discovery surpasses previous Sulawesi rock art dates by at least 15,000 years and exceeds the prior global record (a Neanderthal-attributed stencil from Spain) by over 1,000 years. The site shows continuous artistic activity spanning at least 35,000 years, until around 20,000 years ago, highlighting Sulawesi as home to one of the earliest and longest-lasting artistic traditions. The findings support the long chronology for human arrival in Sahul (the ancient landmass including Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania), suggesting ancestors of Indigenous Australians were present by at least 65,000 years ago. Experts argue this strengthens evidence for a northern migration route through Sulawesi and nearby islands, involving early maritime crossings. The claw-like modification may indicate symbolic thinking, possibly linking humans and animals in early spiritual or cultural beliefs, consistent with other Sulawesi art featuring part-human, part-animal figures. The study, published in Nature, contributes to understanding early modern human creativity, migration patterns, and cultural heritage in Southeast Asia and Australia.
67,800-Year-Old Hand Stencil in Sulawesi Cave Dated as World's Oldest Known Rock Art
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