Using a novel technique called laser ablation U-series (LA-U-series), archaeologists have re-dated some of the earliest cave art in the Maros-Pangkep region of South Sulawesi and determined the age of stylistically similar motifs at other Maros-Pangkep sites. They’ve found that a hunting scene from the Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4 cave site, which was originally dated using the previous approach to a minimum of 43,900 years ago, has a minimum age of 50,200 years (+- 2,200 years), and so is at least 4,040 years older than thought. They’ve also assigned a minimum age of 53,500 years (+- 2,300 years) to a newly described cave art scene at Leang Karampuang. Painted at least 51,200 years ago, this narrative composition, which depicts human-like figures interacting with a pig, is now the earliest known surviving example of representational art, and visual storytelling, in the world.
Prehistoric rock art provides important insights into past human cultures, but is typically challenging to date in an accurate and reliable manner.
Over the past few decades, solution-based U-series methods have been used to produce early dates for rock art in several regions, including western Europe, Island Southeast Asia and Siberia.
In Spain, a hand stencil has been dated using solution U-series analysis of overlying calcite to at least 64,800 years ago, and is therefore attributed to Neanderthals.
Up until now, the earliest evidence for figurative art had comprised a naturalistic painting of a Sulawesi warty pig at Leang Tedongnge in Maros-Pangkep, which was dated using solution U-series to a minimum of 45,500 years.
“We have previously used the uranium-series method to date very old rock art in two parts of Indonesia, Sulawesi and Borneo, but our new laser ablation U-series (LA-U-series) technique is more accurate,” said Griffith University’s Professor Maxime Aubert, senior author of the study.
“It allows us to date the earliest calcium carbonate layers formed on the…
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