Cave Paintings Found in Indonesia

UNGKIT.COM - Rock art, drawings, paintings, or similar works on or in rock, usually dates from ancient or prehistoric times, although it continued to be practiced in some parts of Africa during the 19th century AD and possibly beyond.

Rock art includes pictographs (drawings or paintings), petroglyphs (carvings or inscriptions), engravings (carved motifs), petroforms (rocks arranged in patterns), and geoglyphs (land drawings).

The ancient animals, tools, and human activities depicted often help explain daily life in the past, although the images are often symbolic rather than representational.

A single site may contain artwork dating from several different centuries. Rock art may have played a role in prehistoric religion, perhaps related to ancient myths or the activities of shamans (Encyclopedia Britannica).

Indonesia has discovered a number of prehistoric cave wall paintings (rock art). In fact, some of these paintings are the oldest in the world, most of which are found on the island of Sulawesi.

These ancient rock art include handprint paintings in Metanduno Cave, Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi; narrative paintings in Leang Karampuang, Maros-Pangkep, South Sulawesi; wild boar paintings in Leang Tedongnge, Maros-Pangkep, South Sulawesi; and cave wall paintings in Leang Bulu' Sipong, South Sulawesi.

The world's oldest rock art is a handprint painting in Metanduno Cave, Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi. It is estimated to be around 67,800 years old (with a minimum age limit).

These prehistoric cave paintings are handprint stencils with characteristic slender, tapered fingers. This discovery is recorded as one of the oldest rock art or cave paintings in the world, published in early 2026.

The second oldest rock art in the world is a narrative painting in Leang Karampuang, Maros-Pangkep, South Sulawesi. This mural is estimated to be around 51,200 years old.

The prehistoric cave mural depicts a narrative scene featuring three human figures interacting with a wild boar. This is evidence of the oldest narrative art in the world.

The third oldest rock art in the world is a painting of a wild boar in Leang Tedongnge, Maros-Pangkep, South Sulawesi. This painting is estimated to be around 45,500 years old.

Prehistoric cave paintings were also discovered in Leang Bulu' Sipong 4 in South Sulawesi. This rock art is estimated to be ~48,000 years old.

Besides Sulawesi, prehistoric cave paintings have also been discovered in the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat Karst Area in East Kalimantan Province, and in several caves in Maluku and West Papua. (*)

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