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Story summary
- The hand stencil in Metanduno cave, Sulawesi, Indonesia, is the oldest known rock art, dating to 67,800 years, challenging view that artistic expression began in Ice Age Europe.
- Dr. Adhi Agus Oktaviana of Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency identified the stencil in 2015, and a 2019 sample confirmed its age.
- The finding predates previous rock paintings by at least 15,000 years and suggests Southeast Asian humans created meaningful art.
