Viw Magazine

Men's Weekly

.

  • Written by Adam Brumm, ARC Future Fellow, Griffith University
This hunting scene, painted 44,000 years ago, is the oldest known work of representational art in the world. Ratno Sardi, Author provided

Our team has discovered a cave painting in Indonesia that is at least 44,000 years old and which may cast new light on the beginnings of modern religious culture.

This ancient painting from the island of Sulawesi consists of a scene portraying part-human, part-animal figures hunting wild pigs and small buffalo-like animals with spears or ropes.

Hunting scene at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4. The top image shows a photostitched panorama of the rock art panel (images enhanced using DStretch). The bottom image is a digital tracing of the rock art scene. Ratno Sardi (top); Adhi Agus Oktaviana (bottom).

As we report today in Nature, our dating study shows this is the world’s oldest known representational artwork (as the images depicted are figurative in nature).

The depiction of the part-human, part-animal hunters may also be the earliest evidence of our capacity to conceive of things that do not exist in the natural world. This ability is a cornerstone of religious thought and experience with origins long shrouded in mystery.

Earliest hunting scene in prehistoric art.

Sulawesi’s ice age art

The new cave art site is named Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 and our Indonesian colleagues discovered it in December 2017. It is one of hundreds of cave art sites in the Maros-Pangkep limestone karst region of South Sulawesi.

Map of Sulawesi showing the location of the cave art site Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4. Kim Newman

In 2014, we announced that a cave (Leang Timpuseng) in Maros-Pangkep harbours one of the world’s oldest rock art motifs, a hand stencil created at least 40,000 years ago.

First discovery of 40,000-year-old cave art in Sulawesi.

We also recently reported on a figurative painting of a banteng (a species of wild cattle) dating to at least 40,000 years ago from a Kalimantan cave on the adjacent island of Borneo.

Palaeolithic cave art discovery in Kalimantan, Borneo.

Until now, this painting was the earliest known figurative motif on the planet.

A team effort to date the art

Rock art is very challenging to date.

Fortunately, we were able to collect small mineral growths that had formed over the paintings at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4. We dated this “cave popcorn” using uranium-series analysis, which calculates ages by measuring the radioactive decay of elements.

We conducted our study in collaboration with researchers from several Indonesian institutions, including Indonesia’s National Research Centre for Archaeology (ARKENAS) and scientists from the culture heritage preservation department (BPCB) in Makassar.

The dating of four “popcorns” returned ages between 35,100 and 43,900 years.

So the art in this Indonesian cave was created at least 44,000 or so years ago!

Why is this art important?

Our results show the painting at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 is the oldest figurative art in the world.

Aside from the extraordinary antiquity of this painting, this is the first time a detailed visual narrative or “story” has been identified in cave art at such an early period.

The standard view in Europe is that humanity’s first rock art consisted of simple geometric symbols, which evolved into the sublime figurative paintings of animals from France and Spain from around 35,000 years ago. In this view, the first scenes and human-animal hybrids (known as therianthropes) came along much later.

But the art at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 suggests the major components of an advanced artistic culture were already present in Sulawesi 44,000 years ago: figurative art, scenes, and therianthropes.

It’s possible “complex” art like this was already being made somewhere in Asia (or Africa) even longer ago.

The dawn of human spirituality

The early portrayal of therianthropes at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 is fascinating.

Hunting scene at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4. A group of small part-human, part-animal figures is apparently capturing an anoa (a buffalo-like creature native to Sulawesi) with what seem to be ropes or spears. Ratno Sardi

In Western culture we are most familiar with part-human, part-animal images like werewolves. But therianthropes often have great religious significance.

A therianthropic figure in the hunting scene at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4. This motif appears to represent a human figure with bird-like head and beak. Ratno Sardi

For example, ancient Egyptians revered and feared many deities and demons whose physical forms combined animals and humans, such as the jackal-headed god of death, Anubis, and the sphinx, which had a lion’s body and a human head.

When did we first develop the capacity to dream up such extraordinary creatures?

Up until now the earliest known image of a therianthrope in world archaeology was the “Lion-man” from Germany, a figurine of a human with a feline head carved from a mammoth’s tusk. Nazi archaeologists unearthed this artefact in 1939 and it is said to be 40,000 years old.

At 44,000 years or more, the figures from Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 predate “Lion-man”. They may represent the earliest indication of our ability to imagine the existence of non-real entities like therianthropes.

This ancient world is disappearing

This Sulawesi cave art is a gift from the dawn of human culture. But it is crumbling away before our eyes.

Our rock art surveys with our Indonesian colleagues have uncovered many new cave sites in Maros-Pangkep with spectacular figurative paintings that still await dating. We have also observed the alarming deterioration of this art at almost every location.

Monitoring by BPCB confirms the limestone cave wall surfaces on which the paintings were made are peeling off, erasing the art. This process is happening quickly: at some sites, patches of art 2-3 cm wide vanish every couple of months.

It would be a tragedy if these exceptionally old artworks should disappear in our lifetime. We need hard scientific data that can tell us why this globally significant rock art is deteriorating and what we can do about it – and we need it now.

Adam Brumm receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Maxime Aubert receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Adhi Oktaviana does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Authors: Adam Brumm, ARC Future Fellow, Griffith University

Read more http://theconversation.com/indonesian-cave-paintings-show-the-dawn-of-imaginative-art-and-human-spiritual-belief-128457

Designing the Ideal Healthcare Environment with a Professional Medical Centre Fitout

When it comes to healthcare spaces, functionality, hygiene, and patient comfort take top priority. An intelligently designed medical centr...

Stay Comfortable Year-Round with Ducted Cooling Melbourne

When the temperature starts to rise, having a reliable and efficient cooling system becomes a priority. With unpredictable weather and sud...

Best Practices for Content Ownership and Tagging Across Departments

Image by kaboompics on Freepik The bigger and more complex content ecosystems grow, the more valuable ownership and tagging become. In ent...

Understanding Public Liability Insurance Australia: What You Need to Know

Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik The necessity of public liability insurance in Australia is that it acts as a financial safeguard for busi...

How HID Proximity Cards Improve Workplace Security Without Slowing Down Access

In today’s workplaces, security is non-negotiable, but so is speed. Companies are under pressure to protect their people, property, and ...

Unlock Business Insights Faster with Power BI Tools

In this digital age where data drives the consumer landscape, businesses are shipping huge amounts of data every day. To remain competit...

Why Split System Installation Is a Smart Choice for Home Climate Control

Temperature control is essential for comfort, and when it comes to efficient, versatile cooling and heating, a split system is one of the ...

The Ultimate Guide to Door Replacement: Everything You Need to Know

Image by freepik Sure, swapping out a door is a fairly easy task, but it requires careful consideration of options for materials, designs...

Common Web Development Issues Perth Businesses Face (and How Agencies Fix Them)

Image by freepik Let's be honest, in the bustling heart of Perth's business scene, a website that's not up to scratch is like trying to he...

Life With Clear Aligners: 10 Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

Image by tonodiaz on Freepik Clear aligners have transformed orthodontics, offering a nearly invisible way to straighten teeth without the...

Choosing the Right Hair Loss Treatment for Your Needs

Millions of people experience hair loss globally, and it can be a major cause of emotional discomfort and self-consciousness. Hair loss ca...

Cardboard Display Boxes: An Effective Solution for Retail Presentation

In the competitive world of retail, how products are presented can be just as important as the products themselves. Cardboard display boxe...

Why Hiring a Skilled Shopify Web Developer Can Transform Your Online Store

Shopify has become one of the most popular e-commerce platforms due to its ease of use, powerful features, and scalability. However, creat...

Selling a Home Left 1 in 3 Aussies in Tears, Survey Finds

New research on selling property found that more than 1 in 3 people who sold a property in the past two years admitted to crying at some poi...

Brisbane Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers & Motorbike Accident Claims

Motorbike accidents in Brisbane can lead to severe injuries and complex legal challenges, given the vulnerability of riders on the road. F...

Jesse Martin, OAM Sets Sail Again with Portland Roads - Sailing the Whitsundays

Jesse Martin OAM shot to fame in 1999 as the world’s youngest sailor to circumnavigate the globe – solo, unassisted and non-stop. No...

Why Modern Roller Shutters Are the Perfect Solution for Your Home or Business

Whether you're looking to secure your home or make your business more energy-efficient, modern roller shutters are a smart choice. In this...

Everything You Need to Know About the EWPA Yellow Card

The EWPA Yellow Card is an important certification in the construction and workplace safety sectors. It plays a key role in ensuring worke...

From Residential to NDIS to Commercial: How Mr Window Cleaning Covers Every Window

Not all window cleaning jobs are created equal. A quiet suburban home, a bustling retail store, and a property under an NDIS plan each com...

How Timely Duct Inspections and Repairs Improve HVAC Efficiency

You have cranked up the air conditioning, but your home still feels unevenly cooled or stuffy. Sound familiar? Many homeowners jump straig...