51,200 Year Old Cave Painting Discovered | 10 Jul 2024

Source: IE

Why in News?

Recent research has revealed that the world's oldest known figurative cave painting is approximately 51,200 years old, as determined by the use of a new dating technique. 

• The painting is located on the ceiling of a limestone cave in the Island of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

What are the Key Observations about the Painting?

• Artistic Representation: The painting shows:
  • A pig standing still with its mouth partly open.
  • Three human-like figures surrounding the pig:
    • The largest figure with outstretched arms gripping a rod.
    • The second figure in front of the pig, holding a stick.
    • The third figure upside-down, with legs pointing upwards and one hand reaching toward the pig's head.
• Technique Used in Dating:
  • Researchers dated rock art using uranium series (U-series) analysis of calcite deposits in limestone caves.
    • Researchers used laser beams to compare the ratio of a specific isotope of uranium to a specific isotope of thorium in order to determine the age of the paintings.
      • An isotope is a variant of an atom within the same element, sharing the same atomic number and chemical properties but differing in atomic mass and physical characteristics.
  • This method was also used to date another cave painting at Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4, initially estimated to be 43,900 years old.
    • The findings showed the painting is at least 4,000 years older than previously thought.
  • There is a significant amount of rock art in locations such as Madhya Pradesh in India, but there has not been a dating method of this kind.
    • The oldest paintings of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh are estimated to be around 30,000 years old.
• Significance:
  • Researchers found that figurative art of humans and animals in scenes has deeper historical roots than previously thought.
    • Neanderthals began marking caves around 75,000 years ago, but their markings were non-figurative.
  • This not only provides insights into the cultural practices of early humans but also suggests the emergence of a sophisticated narrative tradition that employed visual arts to represent the relationships between humans and animals.