World's oldest cave painting in Indonesia shows a pig and people

Scientists have discovered artwork depicting three human-like figures interacting with a wild pig in what they have determined is the world’s oldest-known confidently dated cave painting created at least 51,200 years ago

On the ceiling of a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, scientists have discovered artwork depicting three human-like figures interacting with a wild pig in what they have determined is the world's oldest-known confidently dated cave painting - created at least 51,200 years ago.

The researchers used a new scientific approach to determine the minimum age of the newly disclosed painting inside the Leang Karampuang cave in the Maros-Pangkep region of South Sulawesi province by using a laser to date a type of crystal called calcium carbonate that formed naturally on top of the painting.

"The method is a significant improvement over other methods and should revolutionize rock art dating worldwide," said Maxime Aubert, a specialist in archaeological science at Griffith University in Australia and one of the leaders of the research published on Wednesday in the journal Nature.

The scene, dominated by a representation of a pig measuring 36 inches by 15 inches (92 cm by 38 cm) that is standing upright along with three smaller human-like figures, is painted in a single shade of dark red pigment. There are other images of pigs in the cave as well.

The researchers interpreted the painting as a narrative scene, which they said would make it the oldest-known evidence of storytelling in art.

"The three human-like figures and the pig figure were clearly not depicted in isolation in separate parts of the rock art panel," said Griffith University archeologist Adam Brumm, another of the study leaders.

"Rather, the juxtaposition of the figures - how they are positioned in relation to each other - and the manner in which they are interacting were clearly deliberate, and it conveys an unmistakable sense of action. There is something happening between these figures. A story is being told. Obviously, we don't know what that story was," Brumm added.