World's Oldest Cave Art | 15 Jan 2021
Why in News
Recently, archaeologists have discovered the world’s oldest known cave art which is a life-sized picture of a wild pig that was painted at least 45,500 years ago in Indonesia.
Key Points
- Location:
- The picture was found in the Leang Tedongnge cave in a remote valley on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia.
- Sulawesi Warty Pig Painting:
- It dates to at least 45,500 years ago.
- It shows a pig with a short crest of upright hairs and a pair of horn-like facial warts in front of the eyes, a characteristic feature of adult male Sulawesi warty pigs.
- Sulawesi warty pigs were the most commonly portrayed animal in the ice age rock art of the island, suggesting they have long been valued both as food and a focus of creative thinking and artistic expression.
- Painted using red ochre pigment, the pig appears to be observing a fight or social interaction between two other warty pigs.
- Previous Oldest Painting :
- The previously oldest dated rock art ‘scene’ at least 43,900 years old, was a depiction of hybrid human-animal beings hunting Sulawesi warty pigs and dwarf bovids.
- It was discovered by the same research team at a nearby limestone cave site.
- Some of the Caves with Paintings in India:
- Ajanta :
- This cave is located in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.
- Famous fresco paintings of Ajanta are dying princesses, flying apsara and preaching Buddha.
- Ellora :
- It is located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.
- It is famous for the largest monolithic excavation in the world- the great Kailasa.
- Elephanta :
- It is located on Elephanta Islands in Mumbai.
- There are seven cave excavations in the Elephanta group.
- Bhimbetka :
- It is located between Hoshangabad and Bhopal, in the foothills of the Vindhya Mountains.
- It has one of the oldest paintings in India and the world.
- Ajanta :