NEW YORK (RTWnews) — Researchers have unveiled remarkable handprints on cave walls in a largely unexplored area of Indonesia. These prints may be the oldest rock art to date, dating back at least 67,800 years.
The tan-colored handprints, found on the island of Sulawesi, were created by blowing pigment over hands pressed against the walls, resulting in vivid outlines. Some prints show modified fingertips, suggesting deliberate artistry.
This discovery indicates that Sulawesi hosted a vibrant artistic culture during prehistoric times. To determine the age of this art, scientists dated mineral deposits that had built up over the paintings.
Paleoanthropologist Genevieve von Petzinger expressed enthusiasm upon seeing the findings, stating, It fits everything I’d been thinking, highlighting its significance in understanding early human creativity.
Indonesia remains a crucial site for exploring the roots of ancient art, as it hosts some of the earliest cave drawings known to humanity. Similar discoveries worldwide, including markings from over 73,000 years ago in South Africa, contribute to this ongoing narrative.
The new Sulawesi handprints are not just a random find; they represent a complex tradition of rock art possibly shared among early human communities, said Maxime Aubert, a study author from Griffith University, who published the study in Nature.
While the discovery raises questions about which human group created the prints—potentially ancient Denisovans or modern humans migrating from Africa—it emphasizes a significant timeline for the dawn of human creativity.
Further exploration of nearby islands may reveal even older artistic expressions, deepening our understanding of how these traditions spread across the globe. For us, this discovery is not the end of the story, Aubert concluded. It is an invitation to keep looking.
