**Sulawesi, Indonesia** – In a discovery poised to fundamentally alter our understanding of early human cognition, archaeologists have unearthed what is believed to be the world's most ancient cave painting, a stencilled handprint dating back at least 67,800 years. This remarkable find, located in a limestone cave on Indonesia's Muna Island, significantly predates the previous record holder and offers compelling evidence that sophisticated artistic expression emerged far earlier and more widely than previously theorised.
The artwork, identified as an outline of a human hand with deliberately modified fingertips to resemble a claw, was painstakingly dated by a collaborative team of Indonesian and Australian researchers. Led by Professor Adam Brumm and Professor Maxime Aubert of Griffith University, the expedition found that calcite deposits that had accumulated over the ochre pigment were approximately 11,000 years older than those found on a hand stencil in Spain, which had held the record until now. This new datum challenges the long-held assumption that the "creative explosion" of abstract thinking and art was confined to Ice Age Europe.
Professor Brumm articulated the profound shift in scientific consensus this discovery necessitates. "When I was at university, the prevailing narrative was that human creativity blossomed in a specific corner of Europe," he stated. "However, the evidence we are now uncovering in Indonesia, including narrative art forms, makes the Eurocentric perspective increasingly untenable." The technique used to create the handprint involved pressing a hand against the cave wall and then spraying a pigment, likely ochre mixed with water, around it. The intentional alteration of the fingers suggests a level of symbolic intent and conceptualisation that archaeologists are only beginning to fully appreciate in our ancient ancestors.
The cave, known as Liang Metanduno, has yielded a treasure trove of prehistoric art. While the handprint is the oldest, the site also contains more recent depictions, including a captivating narrative scene dated to at least 51,200 years ago, featuring human-like figures and a wild pig. Intriguingly, a separate composition depicts a figure seemingly riding a horse alongside a chicken, a scene that has baffled researchers with its anachronistic elements. The ongoing exploration of Muna Island's caves, spurred by archaeologist Adhi Agus Oktaviana's initial investigations into hand stencils in 2015, promises further revelations.
The implications of this discovery extend beyond artistic timelines. The presence of such advanced cognitive capabilities in Southeast Asia at such an early epoch bolsters arguments for the earlier migration of *Homo sapiens* to the vast Australia–New Guinea landmass, known as Sahul. It supports the hypothesis that our species possessed innate creative and symbolic faculties that have been present since their origins, rather than developing them in isolated pockets. Professor Aubert emphasised the invaluable insight these dated artworks provide: "There is a vast amount of rock art globally, but dating it is exceptionally challenging. When dating is possible, it unlocks a completely new perspective, offering an intimate glimpse into the past and the minds of ancient peoples."
Published in the esteemed journal *Nature*, this groundbreaking find compels a re-evaluation of the trajectory of human evolution, underscoring that sophisticated thought and artistic expression were not late arrivals on the global stage, but rather deeply ingrained characteristics of our species from its nascent stages. The ancient handprint on Muna Island is more than just a splash of colour on a cave wall; it is a powerful testament to the enduring human drive to create, communicate, and leave a mark on the world, a drive that has been present for millennia beyond our prior comprehension.