Scientists Just Found The Oldest Known Cave Painting. Here’s What It Portrays.

The concept of figurative art took thousands of years to develop among ancient humans, but a recent discovery indicates that it dates back much further than we previously knew.

People and a pig

According to experts, a painting on the wall of a cave on the island of Sulawesi is more than 5,000 years older than any other type of prehistoric art ever previously discovered. It was created roughly 51,200 years ago and appears to depict a large wild pig and a trio of humans.

The creativity demonstrated in this work tells modern scientists a lot about human evolution, explained Griffith University professor Maxime Aubert.

“The painting tells a complex story,” he said. “It is the oldest evidence we have for storytelling. It shows that humans at the time had the capacity to think in abstract terms.”

As for what story is actually being told, the three people depicted on the cave wall appear to be engaging in different activities around the pig. One seems to be holding a rod with both arms outstretched. Another is also apparently holding a stick, which might be aimed at the animal’s throat. And the third is depicted upside down with one arm reaching toward the boar’s head.

A pivotal point in history

To be clear, this cave painting isn’t the first known piece of human-created art. Rocks adorned with geometric patterns predate this scene by tens of thousands of years.

But it’s the ability to depict an event that sets this artifact apart.

Nature journal senior editor Dr. Henry Gee said the evolutionary breakthrough might point to an as-yet unidentified event about 50,000 years ago that caused early human species to go extinct. The other alternative, he said, is that we just haven’t found earlier forms of abstract art yet.

Chris Agee July 5th, 2024

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