World’s oldest cave art discovered in Indonesia

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Briefing Summary

AI-generated

NEWSAR · AI

Scientists have discovered the world's oldest known cave art in Indonesia, dating back at least 67,800 years. The discovery, published in the journal *Nature*, was made by a team of Indonesian and Australian archaeologists in caves on Muna Island in the Sulawesi province. The art consists of red ochre hand stencils, including one with retouched fingers resembling claws, a style unique to Sulawesi. This finding sheds light on early human migration patterns to Australia. The research team ventured to the caves based on a tip from Indonesian archaeologist Adhi Agus Oktaviana.

Confidence 0.90Sources 2Claims 5Entities 8

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Article analysis

Model · rule-based

Framing

Human Interest

Technology

Tone

Measured

AI-assessed

CalmNeutralAlarmist

Factuality

0.90 / 1.00

Factual

LowHigh

Sources cited

2

Limited

FewMany

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Key claims

5 extracted

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The fingers of one of the hands were retouched to become pointed like claws – a style of painting only seen in Sulawesi.

factualCanadian archaeologist

Confidence

1.00

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We have been working in Indonesia for a long time.

quoteMaxime Aubert of Australia’s Griffith University

Confidence

1.00

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The cave art dates back at least 67,800 years.

statisticresearch published in the journal Nature

Confidence

1.00

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A red stencil of a hand pressed against the wall of an Indonesian cave is the oldest rock art ever discovered.

factualscientists

Confidence

1.00

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They found handprints in negative, stencilled, probably using red ochre.

factualAubert

Confidence

0.90

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Full report

1 min read · 161 words

A red stencil of a hand pressed against the wall of an Indonesian cave is the oldest rock art ever discovered, scientists said on Wednesday, and sheds light on how humans first migrated to Australia.The cave art dates back at least 67,800 years, according to research published in the journal Nature by a team of Indonesian and Australian archaeologists.“We have been working in Indonesia for a long time,” study co-author Maxime Aubert of Australia’s Griffith University said.This time they ventured to caves on the island of Muna in the Sulawesi province on the advice of Indonesian archaeologist Adhi Agus Oktaviana, the study’s lead author.There they found “handprints in negative, stencilled, probably using red ochre,” Aubert said.Prehistoric cave paintings in Sulawesi, Indonesia, are seen in an image released on Wednesday. Photo: Maxime Aubert/Griffith University via AFPThe fingers of one of the hands were “retouched to become pointed like claws – a style of painting only seen in Sulawesi”, the Canadian archaeologist added.

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