What's Happening?
A nearly 68,000-year-old hand stencil found in a cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia, is believed to be the oldest rock art ever discovered. This stencil, which appears to have been modified to look claw-like, predates similar Neanderthal art in Spain by 1,100
years. The discovery was made by a team led by Maxime Aubert from Griffith University, who previously found the world's oldest known representational art on the island. The stencil's modification suggests a creative intention, possibly to resemble an animal hand, indicating advanced artistic expression by early humans.
Why It's Important?
This discovery provides significant insights into early human artistic expression and cultural development. The modified stencil suggests that early humans in Sulawesi were capable of abstract thinking and creativity, traits that are crucial in understanding human evolution. The art's age also implies that these early humans were likely ancestors of the first Australians, offering clues about human migration patterns. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the timeline and geographical spread of early human art, highlighting Sulawesi as a key location in human history.
