A 67,800-Year-Old Handprint May Be the World’s Oldest Rock Art

A 67,800-year-old handprint discovered in the Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island, Indonesia, may be the oldest known rock art. Indonesian scientist Adhi Agus Oktaviana identified the faint hand stencil beneath later cave paintings in 2015. Researchers from Australia and Indonesia used uranium-series analysis to date calcium carbonate deposits covering the artwork, establishing a minimum age. The handprint, depicting a hand with modified, claw-like fingers, predates other known cave art in the region. While the dating suggests significant antiquity, some experts caution against definitively labeling it the world's oldest, emphasizing it is among the oldest currently known.

Archaeologists have discovered the world's oldest known cave art on Muna Island, Indonesia. Published on January 22, 2026, the research reveals that hand stencils found in limestone caves are approximately 67,800 years old. Indonesian and Australian researchers analyzed the tan-colored drawings, which were created by blowing pigment over hands pressed against cave walls. The discovery was made by archaeologist Adhi Agus Oktaviana, who has been searching for hand stencils in the region since 2015. Researchers suggest the artists may have intentionally reshaped the fingertips in the stencils, possibly to depict something other than a human hand. The findings, published in the journal Nature, highlight a unique artistic style previously only found in Sulawesi.

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.

Cave paintings discovered in Sulawesi, Indonesia, have been identified as the oldest known rock art. The handprints, analyzed by Indonesian and Australian researchers, are estimated to be at least 67,800 years old. The art was created by blowing pigment around hands pressed against cave walls, leaving a hand outline. Researchers dated mineral crusts that had formed on top of the paintings to determine their age. The discovery suggests that a sophisticated artistic culture existed on the Indonesian island during prehistoric times. Scientists Adhi Agus Oktaviana and Shinatria Adhityatama are studying the cave art.

Archaeologists have discovered a hand stencil in a cave on Muna Island, part of Sulawesi, Indonesia, that may be the world's oldest known rock art, dating back at least 67,800 years. The discovery was made in Liang Metanduno cave, where the stencil had been unnoticed among more recent paintings. Researchers from Griffith University dated calcite deposits that formed over the stencil to determine its age. The finding supports the theory that early humans migrated through Sulawesi on a northern route to Sahul, the landmass connecting Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. This discovery also provides evidence that northern Australia was settled at least 65,000 years ago. The hand stencils were created by spraying ochre mixed with water over a hand pressed to the wall.

Researchers have discovered the world's oldest known cave painting on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi: a red hand stencil, reworked to resemble a claw, dated to at least 67,800 years ago. This discovery predates the previous record holder in Spain by over a thousand years. The finding supports the idea that Homo sapiens reached the Australia-New Guinea landmass earlier than some researchers suggest and challenges the long-held belief that art and abstract thought originated in Ice Age Europe. Experts say this discovery, along with others in Sulawesi, indicates that creativity was innate to humans and present across different geographical regions, not solely a European phenomenon. Cave art is considered a key indicator of abstract and symbolic thinking in early humans.