Scientists in Indonesia have made a groundbreaking discovery that challenges our understanding of human history. On Muna Island, off the coast of Sulawesi, a faded hand stencil has been uncovered on a cave wall. Dating back an astonishing 67,800 years, this prehistoric artwork is now being hailed as the world's oldest known rock art.
The ancient hand stencil was discovered in Liang Metanduno Cave, where it had been hidden beneath more recent paintings of animals and other figures. Initially overlooked by researchers, the hand shape was re-imagined and dated using tiny calcite deposits that formed over the top of the stencil. These deposits provided a minimum age of 67,800 years, which is remarkably close to the estimated arrival time of humans in Australia.
This find has significant implications for our understanding of human migration patterns and settlement dates in the region. While it is unclear exactly how humans first migrated from Sunda to Sahul (the landmass that connected Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania), the rock art suggests that some populations traveled northwards across Sulawesi.
The Liang Metanduno hand stencil was created using a technique called stenciling, where the artist would press their hand onto the cave wall while spraying ochre mixed with water over it. The resulting stencil depicts narrow, pointy fingers – an intentional modification, according to researchers. This deliberate alteration may hold symbolic meaning behind the artwork.
The discovery has also sparked debate among experts about who created this early rock art and whether other human species like Neanderthals or Denisovans could have produced similar stencils. While some researchers argue that the pointy fingers are a sign of intentional modification, others caution against over-interpreting the hand stencil, suggesting it may simply be a result of the artist's movement.
This find is an exciting example of how new discoveries can challenge our existing narratives about human history and push us to re-examine our assumptions. As one researcher noted, "Before writing grand narratives about the complexity and success of Homo sapiens, we really should consider other, potentially more interesting explanations of this fascinating phenomenon."
The ancient hand stencil was discovered in Liang Metanduno Cave, where it had been hidden beneath more recent paintings of animals and other figures. Initially overlooked by researchers, the hand shape was re-imagined and dated using tiny calcite deposits that formed over the top of the stencil. These deposits provided a minimum age of 67,800 years, which is remarkably close to the estimated arrival time of humans in Australia.
This find has significant implications for our understanding of human migration patterns and settlement dates in the region. While it is unclear exactly how humans first migrated from Sunda to Sahul (the landmass that connected Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania), the rock art suggests that some populations traveled northwards across Sulawesi.
The Liang Metanduno hand stencil was created using a technique called stenciling, where the artist would press their hand onto the cave wall while spraying ochre mixed with water over it. The resulting stencil depicts narrow, pointy fingers – an intentional modification, according to researchers. This deliberate alteration may hold symbolic meaning behind the artwork.
The discovery has also sparked debate among experts about who created this early rock art and whether other human species like Neanderthals or Denisovans could have produced similar stencils. While some researchers argue that the pointy fingers are a sign of intentional modification, others caution against over-interpreting the hand stencil, suggesting it may simply be a result of the artist's movement.
This find is an exciting example of how new discoveries can challenge our existing narratives about human history and push us to re-examine our assumptions. As one researcher noted, "Before writing grand narratives about the complexity and success of Homo sapiens, we really should consider other, potentially more interesting explanations of this fascinating phenomenon."
67k years old and still giving us clues on how our ancestors lived 
i mean can you imagine being one of those ancient people living in a cave on Muna Island with no modern tech to speak of? they were literally creating art with nothing but ochre paint and their hands 
it's crazy that we're only just now figuring out what this hand stencil means. and the fact that it's got pointy fingers is wild 
i love how it's sparking debate among experts too, because who really knows for sure? maybe it's some ancient human species we haven't discovered yet? anyway, can't wait to see more discoveries like this and challenge our understanding of human history 
i wonder if the people who made it were already super advanced or if it was just like a drawing for them 
i also saw videos of this hand stencil and its got pointy fingers which is weird but i guess thats cool too 
do you think they can figure out how many humans did it? 
. Like 67,800 yrs ago humans were already making art? That's just a whole lot of carbon footprint to catch up on 
. We're basically the dinosaurs of human history now...
