A recent study has identified the oldest known rock art, dating back over 67,800 years, discovered in a cave on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. This stencil of a human hand, which appears claw-like, is believed to provide significant insights into the migration patterns of early human populations, potentially linking them to the first migrations into Australia. The findings, published in the journal Nature, suggest this artwork predates previously known cave paintings in the region by approximately 16,600 years.
Maxime Aubert, a researcher at the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research at Griffith University in Australia, emphasized the cultural significance of this discovery. He stated, “It is now evident from our new phase of research that Sulawesi was home to one of the world’s richest and most longstanding artistic cultures,” highlighting its origins as far back as human occupation of the island.
Significance of Sulawesi in Human History
Sulawesi stands out not only for its artistic heritage but also for its role in the migration of ancient human populations. The region is home to some of the earliest expressions of human creativity, including paintings depicting both human and animal figures. These artworks provide a glimpse into the life and environment of our ancestors, revealing a possible hunting scene analyzed in earlier research published in Nature in 2024.
The study suggests that the island may have acted as a vital waypoint as Homo sapiens migrated from Asia to Sahul, the ancient landmass that once connected Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. The stencil found in the Liang Metanduno cave is a powerful reminder of this connection, representing a tangible link to the ancestors of the Aboriginal Australians.
Research conducted by Aubert and his team involved a range of techniques, including uranium-series dating and mineral deposit analysis. These methods confirmed the age of the claw-like stencil, attributing it to an artist who likely belonged to the population that eventually settled in Australia.
Adhi Agus Oktaviana, associated with Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency, commented on the implications of the findings. He noted, “It is very likely that the people who made these paintings in Sulawesi were part of the broader population that would later spread through the region and ultimately reach Australia,” reinforcing the idea that the ancestors of the First Australians were present in Sahul by around 65,000 years ago.
Mapping Human Migration Routes
The study contributes to ongoing debates regarding the timeline of human arrival in Sahul. Previous research has proposed two main timelines: the “long chronology” around 65,000 years ago and the “short chronology” around 50,000 years ago. These theories suggest that modern humans arrived via two distinct island-hopping routes, one through Sulawesi and the other through Timor, eventually reaching the New Guinean and Australian portions of Sahul.
The Liang Metanduno cave also contains younger paintings, indicating a prolonged period of human occupation spanning at least 35,000 years. Renaud Joannes-Boyau from the Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group at Southern Cross University stated, “With the dating of this extremely ancient rock art in Sulawesi, we now have the oldest direct evidence for the presence of modern humans along this northern migration corridor into Sahul.”
Looking ahead, the research team aims to continue exploring the artistic and migratory history of humans, focusing on sites along the northern route into Sahul. Aubert remarked on the archaeological importance of other Indonesian islands between Sulawesi and New Guinea, indicating that further investigations could yield additional insights into human prehistory.
The discovery of this ancient rock art not only enriches our understanding of early human cultural expression but also reinforces the idea of a more complex migration narrative that shaped the human story across continents.
