Scientists talked about the ancient rock art and the migration of people to Australia

The world's oldest rock art discovered in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi may shed light on the early migration routes of modern humans and the settlement of Australia. The found image is at least 67.8 thousand years old. This is stated in a study published on January 21 in the journal Nature.

An international team of scientists led by specialists from Griffith University, Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Southern Cross University has discovered a fragmentary palm stencil in the limestone cave of Leang Metanduno on Muna Island, near Sulawesi Island. The find turned out to be at least 15,000 years older than the previous record, also set in this region.

The dating was performed using uranium-serial analysis of mineral deposits formed on top of and under the paint layers. The data obtained made it possible to accurately determine the minimum age of the image and confirm its status as the earliest reliably dated example of cave art.

The study also showed that the Moon caves were used to create drawings for a long period — at least 35 thousand years, up to about 20 thousand years ago. According to archaeologist and geochemist Professor Maxim Ober, this indicates the existence of one of the longest artistic traditions in the early history of mankind.

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Scientists drew attention to the unique features of the stencil: after its creation, the contours of the fingers were intentionally changed, which gave the image a "claw-like" appearance. Researchers do not rule out that such symbolism reflects the ideas about the close relationship between humans and animals, characteristic of the early art of the region.

According to experts, the creators of the drawings probably belonged to a population associated with the ancestors of the indigenous peoples of Australia. This discovery confirms that the first people could have come to the territory of the ancient continent of Sahul, which united Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, no later than 65 thousand years ago.

The find also supports the hypothesis of a northern migration route, along which ancient navigators traveled from mainland Asia through Sulawesi and the islands of the Moluccas Archipelago. According to scientists, Sulawesi was a key hub on this path, and the discovered art became the earliest direct evidence of the presence of modern man in this area.

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On January 21, Arkeonews magazine reported the disclosure of previously unknown graffiti in Pompeii. It was clarified that the researchers used 3D images and computing technologies. According to the publication, the graffiti depicted gladiatorial fights, as well as love messages.

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