Handprints in Sulawesi may be the oldest cave art found

Researchers report tan handprint stencils on cave walls in Sulawesi, Indonesia, that were dated to at least 67,800 years old by mineral crusts formed on top of the paintings; the study was published in Nature.

Researchers describe handprint stencils on cave walls in a largely unexplored area of Sulawesi, Indonesia, and report that some of the prints date to at least 67,800 years ago. The stencils were made by placing hands against rock and blowing pigment to leave outlines, with some fingertips intentionally modified. Scientists dated mineral crusts that formed on top of the art to estimate the age. The work was published by Maxime Aubert and colleagues in the journal Nature. Known details: - The prints are tan-colored hand stencils on cave walls in southeastern Sulawesi. - The images were produced by blowing pigment over hands placed against the rock, and some fingertips were shaped to look more pointed. - Mineral crusts that formed on top of portions of the art were dated, and the oldest of those crusts indicate an age of at least 67,800 years. - The study was authored by Maxime Aubert with Indonesian and Australian researchers and published in Nature. - It is not yet known which human group made the prints; researchers report they could be Denisovans or migrating modern humans, and other nearby drawings include images dated to about 4,000 years ago. Summary: The researchers report that these hand stencils may be the oldest cave wall art studied so far and that they extend the timeline for complex rock art traditions. The authors describe the finding as an invitation to continue fieldwork and further study to locate additional examples and to better understand how such artistic practices spread.