{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1567503,
        "msgid": "worlds-oldest-figurative-painting-found-in-indonesia-1771846215",
        "date": "2024-07-04 12:14:24",
        "title": "World's Oldest Figurative Painting Found in Indonesia",
        "author": "admin",
        "source": "INSIGHTS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Anthropology",
        "summary": "Scientists have discovered the world's oldest known figurative cave art in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, dating back at least 51,200 years. The painting depicts a wild pig and three human-like figures in what appears to be a hunting narrative, surpassing previous records by over 5,000 years and providing the earliest known evidence of human storytelling.",
        "content": "<p>A team of Australian and Indonesian scientists has discovered the\nworld\u2019s oldest known figurative cave art on the Indonesian island of\nSouth Sulawesi. This groundbreaking painting, featuring a wild pig and\nthree human-like figures, is at least 51,200 years old, surpassing\nprevious records by over 5,000 years. This discovery significantly\nshifts our understanding of when modern humans first demonstrated\ncreative thought. Prof Maxime Aubert from Griffith University in\nAustralia notes, \u201cThe painting tells a complex story and is the oldest\nevidence we have of storytelling. It shows that humans at the time had\nthe capacity to think in abstract terms.\u201d The artwork depicts a pig with\nits mouth partly open, accompanied by three human-like figures. One\nfigure extends both arms, seemingly holding a rod, while another appears\nto interact with the pig\u2019s throat using a stick. The third figure is\nupside-down, reaching towards the pig\u2019s head. Led by Adhi Agus\nOktaviana, an Indonesian rock art specialist from the National Research\nand Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Jakarta, the team emphasizes the early\nemergence of narrative storytelling in human culture. Oktaviana states,\n\u201cHumans have probably been telling stories for much longer than 51,200\nyears, but as words do not fossilize, we rely on depictions in art \u2013 and\nthe Sulawesi art is the oldest such evidence known to archaeology.\u201d The\npainting represents a significant evolution in human cognitive\nprocesses, moving beyond geometric patterns found in earlier sites like\nthe Blombos Caves in Africa. This new find highlights the early\ndevelopment of representational art, a precursor to modern art and\nscience. Dr.\u00a0Henry Gee, a senior editor at Nature, where the findings\nwere published, remarks, \u201cSomething significant happened around 50,000\nyears ago, leading to the extinction of other human species. It\u2019s likely\nthere are even earlier examples of representational art yet to be\ndiscovered.\u201d New laser-based dating methods have enabled this precise\ndating, suggesting that further re-dating of cave art sites worldwide\nmight push back the timeline of human creativity even further. Prof Adam\nBrumm from Griffith University highlights the importance of these\ndiscoveries in understanding the role of storytelling in early human\nhistory, stating, \u201cThe oldest cave art we have found in Sulawesi depicts\nrecognizable scenes, showing that early humans intended to communicate\nnarratives \u2013 stories.\u201d These findings offer a fascinating glimpse into\nthe cognitive and cultural evolution of early humans.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/worlds-oldest-figurative-painting-found-in-indonesia-1771846215",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}