Discovered World's Oldest Cave Painting: It Dates Back 51,200 Years
This discovery redefines the chronology of rock art in Sulawesi, pushing back the dating by at least 5,700 years compared to previous estimates.
In the heart of Indonesia, on an island called Sulawesi, a revolution in the field of art history has taken place. A sensational discovery has rewritten the narrative of our creative origins, pushing back the boundaries of figurative narrative art. The protagonist of this incredible story is a rock painting depicting figures resembling humans interacting with a wild pig.
Its dating, revealed in the scientific journal Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07541-7) has astonished the international community: at least 51,200 years old, this is how far back this cave masterpiece dates. Its age not only makes it the oldest figurative artwork ever found in a cave but also the oldest known narrative scene to date.
A leap back in time of over 5,700 years: reconsidering Sulawesi's rock art
The discovery redefines the timeline of Sulawesi's rock art, shifting its dating back by at least 5,700 years compared to previous estimates. This temporal leap prompts a reassessment of our understanding of the origins of human ability to depict the world through art.
Unveiling the secrets of prehistoric rock art is no easy feat. Traditional dating techniques, such as uranium-series dating based on solution methods, often prove unreliable, underestimating the actual age of artworks due to complex geological phenomena.
A new method for more precise dating: the advent of LA-U series
To overcome these limitations, researchers opted for an innovative approach: laser ablation uranium-series (LA-U) imaging. This technique combines the use of a laser with a mass spectrometer, enabling meticulous analysis of calcium carbonate samples that naturally formed on rock paintings over millennia. Thanks to its millimeter-scale precision, the LA-U method allows for much more accurate and reliable age dating compared to traditional methods.
New datings of rock paintings
Applying the LA-U method, researchers reanalyzed a breathtaking hunting scene found at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4, an archaeological site located in the Maros-Pangkep region in southern Sulawesi. This painting, already considered one of the world's oldest testimonies of narrative art dating back at least 43,900 years, has once again amazed: the new results place it at a staggering 48,000 years ago, approximately 4,000 years older than previously estimated.
The team further expanded their investigations to another previously undiscovered figurative artwork located at Leang Karampuang (also in the Maros-Pangkep region). This painting, depicting three figures similar to humans interacting with a pig, revealed an even more astounding age: at least 51,200 years. An absolute record that makes it the oldest figurative and narrative artwork ever discovered so far.
The discoveries in Sulawesi raise crucial questions about the history of art and human culture. The presence of such ancient figurative representations challenges existing theories, suggesting that the ability to depict anthropomorphic figures and use narrative compositions to convey meanings in art has roots in a much more distant past than previously thought. It was believed that these forms of artistic expression did not become relatively common until the late Pleistocene, around 14,000 to 11,000 years ago.
