Oldest Cave Art in Indonesia Shows Elongated Hand Stencils

Archaeologists on the Indonesian island of Muna have found hand-stencil paintings initially dated to about 67,800 years old; the images include elongated fingers and come from a cave used as a gallery with later paintings up to about 35,000 years younger.

Archaeologists working on the Indonesian island of Muna have uncovered hand-stencil paintings that researchers initially dated to about 67,800 years old. The images appear as handprints made by blowing pigment over hands, and some show elongated fingers. The finds were reported by archaeologist Adhi Agus Oktaviana, who had earlier recorded more recent drawings such as a man on a horse and a chicken. Sampling from the cave indicates it was used as a gallery over thousands of years, with some later paintings created up to around 35,000 years after the oldest images. Key details: - Location: the discoveries were made in caves on Muna island in Indonesia. - Age: the hand-stencil images were initially dated to about 67,800 years old and are presented as minimum ages in the published report. - Imagery: the stencils were produced by blowing pigment around hands, and some prints show elongated fingers that researchers reported might have been intended to resemble animal claws. - Dating method: researchers reported using uranium decay measurements on small particles to establish a minimum age for the pigments. - Earlier finds: Adhi Agus Oktaviana previously documented more recent cave drawings, including a man on a horse and a chicken, above the older hand images. - Long use: multiple samples suggest the cave was reused as a gallery for millennia, with some artworks added up to about 35,000 years after the earliest pieces. Summary: If confirmed, these dates extend the record of early cave painting in the region and provide new material for study of prehistoric symbolic expression and cultural practices. Undetermined at this time.