via Kompas.id, 25 January 2024: Indonesia is home to some of the world’s oldest and most fascinating prehistoric rock art and cave dwellings, particularly in areas like Leang Tedongnge in South Sulawesi, known for its 45,500-year-old rock art. Researchers, including those from Griffith University and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), are delving into these ancient sites to uncover insights into the cognitive abilities of early humans and the cultural richness of the archipelago.
Rugged stone pictures and prehistoric dwelling caves in the Archipelago record the cultural heritage of our ancestors. Archaeological studies on various sites need to be developed in order to “mine” knowledge from these remnants of the past.
Pictures of rock art and prehistoric dwelling caves are scattered across several regions in Indonesia. One of them is the oldest rock art in the world located in Leang Tedongnge in the Maros-Pangkep karst area, South Sulawesi. The figurative rock art depicting the Sulawesi wart hog and hand stencil is estimated to be 45,500 years old.
This discovery was made by archaeologists from Griffith University, Australia; the National Center for Archaeological Research; and the Cultural Heritage Preservation Center (now the Cultural Heritage Preservation Center) of South Sulawesi. The research results were published in 2021.
Source: Rock Drawings and Residential Caves Record Traces of Ancestral Culture – Kompas.id
