Oldest cave art found in Sulawesi.

Area of Science:

• Archaeology
• Paleoart Studies
• Geochronology

Background:

• Indonesia is a key region for understanding early human history and artistic development.
• Previously, the oldest dated rock art in the region was a Sulawesi warty pig painting at 43.9 ka.
• Cave art provides crucial insights into the cognitive abilities and cultural practices of ancient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To accurately date newly discovered figurative cave paintings in South Sulawesi.
• To establish a more precise timeline for the earliest representational art in Island Southeast Asia.
• To investigate the significance of these findings in the global context of early human creativity.

Main Methods:

• Uranium-series dating of mineral deposits overlying the cave paintings.
• High-precision radiometric dating techniques applied to rock art sites.
• Comparative analysis of dating results with existing archaeological evidence.

Main Results:

• A Sulawesi warty pig painting from Leang Tedongnge dated to a minimum of 45.5 ka.
• A second warty pig painting from Leang Balangajia 1 dated to at least 32 ka.
• The Leang Tedongnge painting is currently the world's earliest known example of representational art.

Conclusions:

• The discovery of the 45.5 ka warty pig painting in Leang Tedongnge establishes a new benchmark for the earliest representational art globally.
• Early rock art in Island Southeast Asia, particularly Sulawesi, is ancient and sophisticated.
• Further research is warranted to explore the extent and diversity of early artistic traditions in the region and beyond.