World's Oldest Cave Art found Showing Humans and a Pig

[Insider]

The latest and oldest piece of cave art to be discovered has been found in the caves of Karampuang Hill in the Indonesian Island of South Sulawes , scientists say the new figurative cave art is at least 51,200 years old and predates the previous title holder by around 5,000 years or more.

The painting shows a pig standing still with its mouth partly open and at least three human-like figures. The largest human figure has both arms extended and appears to be holding a rod. The second is immediately in front of the pig with its head next to its snout. It also seems to be holding a stick, one end of which may be in contact with the pig’s throat. The last human-like figure seems to be upside-down with its legs facing up and splayed outwards. It has one hand reaching towards and seemingly touching the pig’s head.

The team of scientists was led by Adhi Agus Oktaviana, an Indonesian rock art specialist from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Jakarta. He says that that narrative storytelling was a crucial part of early human culture in Indonesia from a very early point in time.

“Humans have probably been telling stories for much longer than 51,200 years, but as words do not fossilise we can only go by indirect proxies like depictions of scenes in art – and the Sulawesi art is now the oldest such evidence by far that is known to archaeology,” he said.

World's oldest cave art found in Indonesia showing humans and pig

The oldest example of cave art has been discovered on an Indonesian island and dated back 51,200 years.

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