Oldest Cave Painting Discovered: 67,800 Years Old
- The oldest known cave painting, a hand stencil, is 67,800 years old.
- Maxime Aubert of Griffith University in Australia led the dating of the pigments, and the results were published in the journal Nature.
- The painting,found in the Liang Metanduno cave,is a stencil of a hand.
Oldest Known Cave Painting Dates Back 67,800 Years
The oldest known cave painting, a hand stencil, is 67,800 years old. Researchers discovered the artwork in a cave on the island of sulawesi,Indonesia. The finding builds on previous discoveries of ancient rock art in the region.
Maxime Aubert of Griffith University in Australia led the dating of the pigments, and the results were published in the journal Nature.
The painting,found in the Liang Metanduno cave,is a stencil of a hand. Researchers believe the artist modified the stencil by narrowing the fingers, creating a claw-like impression.
“This painting could symbolize the idea that humans and animals were closely connected,” said Adam brumm, a co-author of the study. “We already see evidence of this in other early rock art from Sulawesi, including a scene depicting figures we interpret as performing a hunting ritual.”