ON THIS DATE THE SULAWESI CAVE ART WAS DISCOVERED

DECEMBER 11th, 2019 – On the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, cave art was discovered that has been recognized as the world’s oldest example of pictorial storytelling, dating to approximately 43,900 years ago. 

The precise location of the discovery was in the limestone cave Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4. The art depicts therianthropes, abstract figures with qualities of human beings and animals combined, hunting wild pigs and dwarf buffaloes.

“The hunters represented in the ancient rock art panel at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 are simple figures with human-like bodies, but they have been depicted with heads or other body parts like those from birds, reptiles, and other faunal species endemic to Sulawesi,” said Dr. Adhi Agus Oktaviana.

“These therianthropes are portrayed in the act of killing or capturing six fleeing mammals, two Sulawesi warty pigs and four dwarf buffaloes known as anoas. The latter are small but fierce bovids that still inhabit the island’s dwindling forests.”

“Remarkably, some figures appear to be using long ropes to capture these dangerous animals.”

“The images of therianthropes at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 may also represent the earliest evidence for our capacity to conceive of things that do not exist in the natural world, a basic concept that underpins modern religion,” added Dr. Adam Brumm.

Previously, the oldest example of a therianthrope in cave art was the lion-headed Lion Man illustration in Germany. It was declared 40,000 years old.

NOTE: Some scholars believe that the supposed “long ropes” are actually spears.