Indonesian Hand Stencil Could Be World's Oldest Rock Art at 67,800 Years
TL;DR
A faded hand outline in Liang Metanduno cave on Sulawesi is dated to at least 67,800 years ago via calcite overgrowth, potentially the oldest known rock art, created by spraying ochre over a hand; the find, along with other Sulawesi paintings dating to 51,200 years, supports early northern dispersal toward Sahul and suggests complex symbolic behavior by Homo sapiens, though attribution to specific hominin groups remains debated.
- Hand shape in Indonesian cave may be world’s oldest known rock art The Guardian
- World's Oldest Cave Art Discovered In Indonesia Barron's
- Rock art from at least 67,800 years ago in Sulawesi Nature
- Oldest cave painting of red claw hand could rewrite human creativity timeline BBC
- Indonesian handprints are the oldest cave art found yet AP News
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on The Guardian