CAVE PAINTINGS: HISTORY
NEWS: Discovery of the World's Oldest Figurative Cave Painting
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?
Discovery of the World’s Oldest Figurative Cave
Painting
- Discovery:
- Location: Leang Karampuang cave,
Sulawesi, Indonesia.
- Age: 51,200 years old.
- Significance: Oldest known figurative
cave painting.
- Painting Details:
- Depiction: A pig with its mouth
partially open, accompanied by three therianthrope figures (part-human,
part-animal).
- Style: Red pigment, suggesting
narrative-rich artistic expression.
- Dating Technique:
- Method: Uranium series (U-series)
analysis of calcite deposits over the painting.
- Precision: Enhanced accuracy in
dating through uranium to thorium isotope measurement.
- Implications:
- Challenges Existing
Notions:
Predates the previous oldest cave art by over 5,000 years.
- Cultural Insight: Provides evidence of early
human storytelling and cognitive abilities.
- Importance: Highlights the need for
interdisciplinary research in archaeology and science.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-culture/world-oldest-cave-art-9434758/