Indonesia Island became the host of the oldest example of figurative cave art with the discovery of a painting of a pig and human-like figures in the Island of Sulawesi. This discovery is made by a group of Indonesian and Australian scientists.
The painting found contains a picture of a wild pig and three-human like figures. It is expected to be at least 51,200 years old, which is more than 5,000 years older than the previous oldest cave art.
“The painting tells a complex story”
This discovery sheds new light on the timeline of modern humans when they started to show signs of their capacity to hold creative thoughts.
As per the statement of Prof Maxime Aubert, Griffith University in Australia to BBC, this discovery can change the previous ideas of the evolution of human beings in that time period. Prof Aubert tells more about the painting saying, “The painting tells a complex story. It is the oldest evidence we have for storytelling. It shows that humans at the time had the capacity to think in abstract terms.”
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What does the Painting Depict?
The earliest cave paintings that have been discovered in Sulawesi so far have recognizable images. These paintings show people and animals interacting in a way that suggests the artist was trying to convey a story or narrative of some sort.
The picture depicts a painting of three creatures that resemble humans, along with a motionless pig with its mouth slightly open.
The biggest human figure looks to be clutching a rod and has both arms outstretched. The second human-like figure is right in front of the pig and his head is next to its snout. Additionally, it appears to be clutching a stick, with one end possibly touching the pig’s throat. The last human-looking figure appears to be inverted, with its legs spread wide apart and facing upward. It appears to be touching the pig’s head with one of its hands.
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Who Found this Ancient Painting?
The team of scientists, headed by Adhi Agus Oktaviana, an Indonesian rock art specialist from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Jakarta, included both Indonesian and Australian researchers. Oktaviana believes that storytelling was a significant aspect of early human culture in Indonesia from the beginning.
Significance of this Finding
The earliest known drawings were made between 75,000 and 100,000 years ago, according to rock art discovered in southern Africa’s Blombos Caves. They are made up of geometric designs.
The recently discovered artwork is an example of representational art, which is an abstract depiction of the environment painted by the artist or artists, and is located in the limestone cave of Leang Karampuang in the Maros-Pangkep region of South Sulawesi.
The changes observed in the style of painting, can be seen as a representation of the evolution of the human mind.
Ancient Art in Africa: Still in Search of Proof
Professor Chris Stringer from the Natural History Museum in London believes there could be ancient art in Africa, where modern humans first evolved. However, no such painting has been discovered yet that will prove this theory.
He thinks this discovery supports the idea that art started in Africa over 50,000 years ago and spread as humans moved around.
“If that is true, much new supporting evidence from other areas including Africa has yet to emerge. Obviously this oldest date is work on one panel at one site – hopefully more dating will be done at more sites to confirm this apparently crucial finding,” hopes Prof Stringer.
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