Bus accident kills at least 25 – Deutsche Welle – 24 December 2019

These ancient paintings were found in seven caves on the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The photo was taken at the entrance of a cave near the site where the petroglyph was discovered and is dated.

These prehistoric images are at least 40,000 years old and depict the outlines of animals and human hands. This photo shows a handmade stencil and image of two Babi rusas or pig deer (pig-like animals native to Sulawesi and surrounding islands in Indonesia) in the Leang Pettakere cave. Red ocher was used to create paintings in shades of red and mulberry.

Also at Leang Pettakere, one can see paintings from different generations: the handmade stencil on the back of the “Pig and Deer” was probably made before the painting of Babi Rusa above it. Rock art on Sulawesi was first reported by Dutch archaeologist Heeren-Palm in the 1950s, but no one has attempted to date the cave art since then.

Researchers have found that Indonesian paintings are comparable in age to the oldest rock art in Europe, long considered the birthplace of art. There are other similarities to hand stencils and red discs painted in El Castillo cave in Spain between 37,000 and 40,000 years ago. These are some of the oldest cave paintings in Europe.

Rock art on Sulawesi was first reported by Dutch archaeologist Heeren-Palm in the 1950s. For many years, archaeologists believed it was part of the pre-Neolithic (Mesolithic) period about 10,000 years ago. The latest phase of research began in 2011, when Indonesian and Australian archaeologists began excavating at Leang Burung 2 in the Maros region and eventually succeeded in dating the cave.

The landscape of the Maros region where these paintings are set: rivers scour the limestone, and agriculture flourishes in the valleys. On the remaining limestone towers and plateaus, numerous caves can be found, many with rock art on display.

While many sites in the area still contain beautiful examples of rock art, many others may have been destroyed by erosion. Another threat could come from growing interest in the area. Indonesian authorities say they plan to add the cave paintings to the country’s official “cultural heritage” list and apply for inclusion on Unesco’s World Heritage List.

In 2017, scientists discovered what is now believed to be the oldest artwork in Indonesia, and possibly the world. This Sulawesi painting, thought to be around 44,000 years old, is also believed to be the world’s first pictorial narrative, showing human figures hunting wild boars.