World’s Oldest Hand Stencil Found in Sulawesi: 67,800 Years Old
00:00
00:00
- Indonesian archaeologists found a 67,800-year-old hand stencil in Muna, Sulawesi, making it the world’s oldest reliably dated cave art and evidence of early human sea travel.
- A BRIN research team uncovered 67,800-year-old rock art on Muna Island, Sulawesi—older than any found in Europe—proving humans mastered seafaring tens of thousands of years ago.
- New findings from Indonesia suggest modern humans were creating symbolic art 67,800 years ago in Muna, Sulawesi—thousands of years before early European cave art.
A team of researchers from Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), in collaboration with Griffith University and Southern Cross University in Australia, has uncovered ancient rock art estimated to be at least 67,800 years old in Leang Metanduno Cave, Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi.
Adhi Agus Oktaviana, an archaeologist from BRIN’s Research Center for Archaeometry, announced in Jakarta on Thursday that this discovery predates the previously known Maros-Pangkep cave art by about 16,600 years.
“This rock art is also 1,100 years older than the hand stencil found in Spain, which was once thought to be the oldest cave art ever made by Neanderthals,” Oktaviana said.
The research team used laser-ablation uranium-series (LA–U-series) dating to examine microscopic calcite layers covering the hand stencil. Their analysis estimated the age at 71,600 ± 3,800 years, setting a minimum age of 67,800 years for the artwork in Metanduno Cave.
According to Oktaviana, the discovery positions Indonesia as one of the most significant centers in early symbolic art history and evidence of modern humans’ ancient seafaring abilities.
“This is the oldest reliably dated rock art in the world, giving direct proof that humans intentionally crossed seas nearly 70,000 years ago,” he noted. “It is highly likely that the creators were part of a population that later spread eastward and eventually reached Australia.”
He added that this finding strengthens the long chronology model, which suggests that humans arrived in the Sahul landmass (Australia-Papua) at least 65,000 years ago.
The research offers the oldest direct evidence of modern human presence along the northern migration route toward Sahul, involving deliberate sea crossings between Borneo (Kalimantan) and Papua—an area that remains underexplored archaeologically.
Adam Brumm, a researcher from the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE) at Griffith University, highlighted that the Muna hand stencil features globally unique characteristics. The stencil’s narrow-finger design, resembling claws, may represent a sophisticated form of symbolic expression.
“The artwork could signify humanity’s deep connection with animals—a theme seen in earlier Sulawesi rock paintings, including one depicting a half-human, half-animal figure,” Brumm explained.
Given the broad distribution of Pleistocene rock art sites across Sulawesi’s karst regions, researchers emphasized the urgent need for cultural preservation. They called for policies that integrate karst area protection into spatial planning and natural resource management frameworks, to safeguard these irreplaceable prehistoric treasures.
Indonesianpost.com | Antara