Lab Notes: The oldest rock art in the world…that we know of

A faint orange hand stencil on the wall of a cave in Indonesia just became the oldest art known to science.   

The art, made by splattering ochre over a hand, had been painted over by subsequent generations and was only preserved because moisture combined with the limestone of the cave to form a protective layer on top. 

The finding strengthens the picture that humans migrated via Borneo, Sulawesi and Papua to reach Australia at least 65,000 years ago. 

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Featuring: 

• Jacinta Bowler, ABC science reporter 

Extra information: 

Hand stencils discovered in an Indonesian cave are oldest-known rock art

Rock art from at least 67,800 years ago in Sulawesi

This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar people.