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On the ceiling of a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, scientists have discovered artwork depicting three human-like figures interacting with a wild pig, determined to be the world's oldest-known confidently dated cave painting. This remarkable artwork was created at least 51,200 years ago.
The discovery was made in the Leang Karampuang cave in the Maros-Pangkep region of South Sulawesi province. Researchers employed a groundbreaking scientific approach to ascertain the minimum age of the painting. Using a laser, they dated a type of crystal called calcium carbonate that had naturally formed on top of the painting. This new method marks a significant improvement over previous techniques and is expected to revolutionize rock art dating worldwide.
"The method is a significant improvement over other methods and should revolutionize rock art dating worldwide", said Maxime Aubert, a specialist in archaeological science atnGriffith University in Australia and one of the leaders of the research published on Wednesday in the journal *Nature*.
The painting features a pig measuring 36 inches by 15 inches (92 cm by 38 cm) standing upright, along with three smaller human-like figures, all painted in a single shade of dark red pigment. The researchers interpreted this as a narrative scene, making it the oldest-known evidence of storytelling in art.
"The three human-like figures and the pig figure were clearly not depicted in isolation in separate parts of the rock art panel",said Griffith University archaeologist Adam Brumm, another study leader. "Rather, the juxtaposition of the figures - how they are positioned in relation to each other - and the manner in which they are interacting were clearly deliberate, and it conveys an unmistakable sense of action.
There is something happening between these figures. A story is being told. Obviously, we don't know what that story was", Brumm added.
The researchers used the same dating method to reassess the age of another Sulawesi cave painting from a site called Leang Bulu Sipong 4, which also depicts a narrative scene. This painting, featuring part-human, part-animal figures hunting pigs and dwarf buffalo, was found to be at least 48,000 years old, making it upwards of 4,000 years older than previously thought.
"We, as humans, define ourselves as a species that tells stories, and these are the oldest evidence of us doing that", Aubert said. This discovery not only pushes back the timeline of human artistic expression but also provides profound insights into the cognitive and cultural development of early humans.
