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Australian and Indonesian scientists have discovered the oldest known figurative cave art in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The painting, which depicts a wild boar and three human-like figures, is at least 51,200 years old, predating the previous oldest cave painting by more than 5,000 years.
The discovery pushes back the time when modern humans first displayed the ability to think creatively, and Professor Maxime Aubert of Griffith University in Australia told BBC News the discovery will change the way people think about human evolution.
“This painting tells a complex story. It’s the oldest evidence we have for storytelling. It shows that humans at that time were capable of abstract thought,” he said.
The painting shows a pig standing quietly with its mouth half open, and there are at least three human-like figures next to it.
The largest humanoid has its arms outstretched, appearing to hold a stick. The second is directly in front of the pig, with its head close to the pig’s snout. It also appears to be holding a stick, one end of which may be touching the pig’s throat. The last humanoid appears to be upside down, with its legs up and outstretched. One of its hands is reaching toward the pig’s head, as if to touch it.
The team of scientists, led by Adhi Agus Oktaviana, an expert on Indonesian rock art at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Jakarta, said narrative storytelling was an important part of early human culture in Indonesia from very early times.
“Humans may have been telling stories for much longer than 51,200 years, but because writing cannot fossilize, we can only tell through indirect evidence such as depictions in art – and Sulawesi art is the oldest such evidence known to archaeology to date,” he said.
The first evidence of paintings on stone dating back to 75,000 to 100,000 years ago was found in the Blombos Cave in South Africa. These paintings consisted of geometric patterns.
Located in the Kalanpuang limestone cave in the Maros-Bangkok region of South Sulawesi, the new painting shows both figurative art—and abstract depictions of the world around the painter. As such, it represents the evolution of human thought processes that gave rise to both art and science.
The question is what triggers the awakening in the human mind, said Dr Henry Gee, senior editor of the journal Nature, which published the details.
“Something seems to have happened about 50,000 years ago, and soon thereafter all other human species like the Neanderthals and the so-called Hobbits became extinct.
“It’s romantic to imagine that something happened in the human brain at some point in that era, but I think it’s more likely that there are earlier examples of figurative art.”
Professor Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London believes there may be examples of ancient figurative art in Africa, where modern humans first evolved, but which we have not yet discovered.
“This discovery reinforces the idea that figurative art first emerged in Africa 50,000 years ago and that the concept spread as humans spread.
“If this is true, then there is a lot of new evidence from other regions such as Africa that has yet to come forward. Apparently this oldest dating was only on a single plank from one site – hopefully more dates will be done at more sites to confirm this obviously crucial discovery”.
The new dating was achieved using a novel method that uses lasers to cut out tiny sections of the artwork. This allowed the researchers to study different parts of the artwork in greater detail and come up with a more accurate dating result.
As the new method becomes more widely used, the dating of multiple cave art sites around the world may be re-dated, which may further delay the emergence of figurative art.
Until 10 years ago, the only evidence of ancient cave art was found in places like Spain and southern France. This led some to believe that the creative explosion that led to the art and science we know today began in Europe.
But the discovery of a colorful outline of a human hand in South Suluwesi in 2014 shattered that view.
In November 2018, scientists discovered the oldest figurative art of the time in the Lubang Jeriji Saléh cave on the Indonesian island of Borneo, believed to be more than 40,000 years old and depicting an unknown animal.
Newly discovered cave art in Indonesia sheds new light on the important role of storytelling in art history, says Griffith University Professor Adam Bloom.
“It is noteworthy that the oldest cave art we have found so far in Sulawesi consists of recognizable scenes: that is, paintings depicting humans and animals interacting, and we can infer that the artists wanted to convey some kind of narrative – a story,” he said.
(BBC News)
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