Researchers in Indonesia have discovered handprints on cave walls that may represent the oldest rock art ever studied, dating back at least 67,800 years.
The prints, found in a largely unexplored area on the island of Sulawesi, were created by blowing pigment over hands pressed against the walls, leaving tan-colored outlines. Some of the fingertips were deliberately shaped to appear pointed, suggesting an advanced artistic intent.
Indonesian and Australian scientists dated mineral crusts that had formed on top of the handprints to determine their age, making the Sulawesi cave art the oldest known on cave walls globally.
“This fits everything I’ve been thinking,” said independent paleoanthropologist Genevieve von Petzinger, expressing excitement over the findings.
Indonesia is already recognized for hosting some of the world’s earliest cave drawings, while prehistoric art has also been documented across the globe. For instance, cross-hatched marks on a rock in South Africa date to approximately 73,000 years ago, though those are not on cave walls.
The Sulawesi handprints indicate a complex tradition of rock art, likely reflecting a shared cultural practice, according to Maxime Aubert of Griffith University, who led the study published in Nature on Jan. 21. The findings provide crucial insight into when early humans began creating symbolic representations of themselves and the world.
It remains uncertain who made the prints. They could belong to Denisovans, an ancient human group that lived in the region and may have interacted with Homo sapiens, or to early modern humans migrating from Africa through the Middle East and Australia. Fine details on the handprints, such as modified fingertips, suggest they were made by human hands.
Other nearby cave drawings, including depictions of humans, birds, and horse-like animals, were found to be much younger—some around 4,000 years old.
Aubert noted that there is likely more undiscovered art on nearby islands, which could be even older than the Sulawesi handprints. “For us, this discovery is not the end of the story,” he said. “It is an invitation to keep looking.”
These findings help scientists trace the origins and spread of early human creativity, offering a rare glimpse into the cultural life of our ancestors tens of thousands of years ago.
