Have you ever imagined that the origins of human visual art didn’t come from Europe, but from a cave in Indonesia?
Not in France or Spain, as many commonly believe, but in the heart of South Sulawesi’s limestone forest—where our ancestors first projected their imagination onto the walls of stone.
Today, new evidence further reinforces Indonesia’s crucial role in the history of early human art and culture. A collaborative research team—comprising Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Griffith University, and Southern Cross University—has uncovered the oldest known figurative painting in the world.
The discovery was published in the journal Nature in mid-2024, under the title “Narrative Cave Art in Indonesia by 51,200 Years Ago.”
Earliest Known Visual Narrative
The study revealed a painting in Leang Karampuang Cave, South Sulawesi, Indonesia dated to at least 51,200 years old. It depicts an interaction scene between three human-like figures and a wild pig, using a purplish-red pigment (hematite) and a remarkably simple technique that delivers surprising visual precision and narrative depth.
To determine the painting’s age, the research team applied an advanced laser ablation uranium-series dating method, analyzing the layers of calcium carbonate (calcite) that formed over the painting. This technology offers more accurate minimum age estimates than previous methods—without damaging the artwork itself.
The calcite layer partially covering the image indicates that the painting was created at least 51,200 years ago, making it the oldest known visual expression of human imagination ever discovered.
What Was Painted?
This is not just a random scribble—it is a narrative scene: three prehistoric human figures appear to be interacting—most likely in a hunting or ritual context—with a Sulawesi warty pig (Sus celebensis). The body postures and dynamic expressions of the figures reflect a striking level of abstraction and visual storytelling for such an early period in prehistory.
This discovery marks a significant milestone, suggesting that humans in Southeast Asia were capable of forming stories, myths, and symbolic systems far earlier than previously assumed. It also reinforces the region’s status as a key area in the cognitive evolution of Homo sapiens.
Read also: Hang Son Doong: The World’s Largest Cave – It Can Host a 40-Story Skyscraper Inside
Previous Discovery: Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4
Interestingly, the study also includes a redating of the iconic painting at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 in Maros-Pangkep, Sulawesi, Indonesia—a painting previously regarded as the world’s oldest, dated to around 43,900–44,000 years ago. This artwork depicts therianthropes (human-animal hybrid figures) hunting babirusa and anoa.
Using the same advanced dating technology, researchers now estimate the age of the Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 painting at approximately 48,000 years—around 4,000 years older than earlier estimates. This makes it still one of the oldest known figurative narrative artworks ever discovered, further solidifying Sulawesi’s role as a center for early Homo sapiens visual expression.
Challenging Eurocentric Views
At 51,200 years old, the painting from Leang Karampuang surpasses many of the world’s most famous prehistoric artworks, including:
- The “Shaft Scene” in Lascaux, France (±17,000 years): a painting of a bird-headed man being attacked by a bison
- Animal depictions in Chauvet Cave, France (±35,000 years)
- The “Lion Man” from Germany (±40,000 years): an ivory sculpture of a human with a lion’s head
- Rock art in El Castillo, Spain (±40,800 years): previously considered the world’s oldest cave imagery
The Sulawesi discovery is particularly significant because for a long time, it was believed that complex cave art originated in Europe during the Ice Age. However, findings in Indonesia—especially in Sulawesi—reveal that cave paintings here are significantly older than the renowned sites in France and Spain.
