By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
The oldest example of figurative cave art, dating back at least 51,200 years, has been discovered on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi by Australian and Indonesian scientists. This newly found painting, which is over 5,000 years older than the previous oldest known cave art, depicts a wild pig and three human like figures. The discovery signifies an earlier onset of modern humans' capacity for creative thought and storytelling.
Prof. Maxime Aubert from Griffith University in Australia stated that the painting, found in the caves of Karampuang Hill, provides the oldest evidence of storytelling and indicates humans' ability to think abstractly at that time. The painting shows a pig with its mouth open, alongside human like figures, one of which appears to be holding a rod and another interacting with the pig.
Led by Adhi Agus Oktaviana from the National Research and Innovation Agency in Jakarta, the team asserts that narrative storytelling was an integral part of early human culture in Indonesia. Oktaviana notes that while humans have likely been storytelling for much longer, physical evidence like the Sulawesi art provides crucial insights.
Previously, the earliest evidence of drawing, consisting of geometric patterns, was found in the Blombos Caves in southern Africa, dating back between 75,000 to 100,000 years. The newly discovered painting in the limestone cave of Leang Karampuang represents a significant evolution in human cognitive processes.
Dr. Henry Gee of the journal Nature suggested that an event around 50,000 years ago may have sparked this creative awakening in the human brain, although earlier examples of representational art may exist. Prof. Chris Stringer from the Natural History Museum in London also believes that Africa, where modern humans first evolved, might harbor older representational art yet to be discovered.
The new dating method, involving laser cutting of tiny amounts of the artwork, has allowed for more accurate dating and might lead to re dating of other cave art sites worldwide. This method could further push back the timeline of representational art emergence.
Until a decade ago, ancient cave art was primarily found in Europe, leading to the misconception that abstract thought first emerged there. However, the 2014 discovery of colored hand outlines in South Sulawesi and the 2018 discovery of the then oldest representational artwork in Borneo have challenged this view. Prof. Adam Brumm from Griffith University emphasized that the oldest cave art in Sulawesi, depicting humans and animals in narrative scenes, highlights the significant role of storytelling in early human art history.
