Ancient Hand Stencil Sparks Debate on Human Migration to Australia
A team of archaeologists has made a groundbreaking discovery in a cave on Indonesia's Muna Island, shedding new light on the human migration to Australia. The ancient hand stencil, estimated to be at least 67,800 years old, is believed to be the world's oldest known rock art.
Researchers, led by Prof Maxime Aubert from Griffith University, have dated the stencil using tiny calcite deposits that formed over the top of the image. This technique allowed them to estimate the age of the artwork with remarkable accuracy.
The Liang Metanduno cave painting, discovered in 2017, shows a hand stencil made by spraying ochre mixed with water onto the wall. The researchers believe that the narrow fingers were an intentional modification, possibly indicating some symbolic meaning behind the artwork.
However, not all experts are convinced of the age and significance of the hand stencil. Prof Paul Pettitt from Durham University questioned whether the modifications to the image were made on purpose or simply caused by the creator moving their fingers.
The discovery of the Liang Metanduno cave painting has significant implications for our understanding of human migration to Australia. The rock art suggests that some humans traveled along a northern route that crossed Sulawesi, potentially connecting the island to Sahul, which connected Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania.
While the hand stencil is believed to be made by early humans in Indonesia, it remains unclear how they first reached Sahul. Researchers believe that the artwork supports evidence of human settlement in northern Australia at least 65,000 years ago.
The discovery of this ancient hand stencil has sparked a lively debate about the origins of rock art and the migration of early humans to Australia. Further research is needed to unravel the mysteries of the past and understand the symbolism behind this fascinating phenomenon.
A team of archaeologists has made a groundbreaking discovery in a cave on Indonesia's Muna Island, shedding new light on the human migration to Australia. The ancient hand stencil, estimated to be at least 67,800 years old, is believed to be the world's oldest known rock art.
Researchers, led by Prof Maxime Aubert from Griffith University, have dated the stencil using tiny calcite deposits that formed over the top of the image. This technique allowed them to estimate the age of the artwork with remarkable accuracy.
The Liang Metanduno cave painting, discovered in 2017, shows a hand stencil made by spraying ochre mixed with water onto the wall. The researchers believe that the narrow fingers were an intentional modification, possibly indicating some symbolic meaning behind the artwork.
However, not all experts are convinced of the age and significance of the hand stencil. Prof Paul Pettitt from Durham University questioned whether the modifications to the image were made on purpose or simply caused by the creator moving their fingers.
The discovery of the Liang Metanduno cave painting has significant implications for our understanding of human migration to Australia. The rock art suggests that some humans traveled along a northern route that crossed Sulawesi, potentially connecting the island to Sahul, which connected Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania.
While the hand stencil is believed to be made by early humans in Indonesia, it remains unclear how they first reached Sahul. Researchers believe that the artwork supports evidence of human settlement in northern Australia at least 65,000 years ago.
The discovery of this ancient hand stencil has sparked a lively debate about the origins of rock art and the migration of early humans to Australia. Further research is needed to unravel the mysteries of the past and understand the symbolism behind this fascinating phenomenon.
. Can't we just have a more seamless video playback experience? I mean, I know they're trying to monetize ads or something, but it feels like every 2 seconds I'm watching an ad or waiting for the next page load... Ugh! 
. I've always been fascinated by human migration and the history of rock art in Australia. It's crazy to think that we're still learning about how our ancestors traveled to new lands, but at least now we have some new evidence to consider!
Like, 67,800 years old?! Mind blown! 
Can't wait for more research to come out and learn all about these early humans and their travels. 
The symbolism behind the artwork is so interesting - was it a form of communication or just an art thing? 
I'm totally Team Ancient Art, you know? 
. That's even older than some of our oldest known memes 
.
. And to think that this image could hold some sort of symbolic meaning behind it... that's like, totally deep, man 
.
. And you know what? I think that's kinda cool 
. Can't wait to see where further research takes us! 
And what's with the intentional modification thingy - were they trying to send some kind of message or was it just a happy accident? 
Still, I love that we're learning more about our ancient ancestors and how they might've traveled between islands. Can't wait for more info and further research! 
! Can you even believe how old that is?! I mean, imagine someone creating art like that way back then... and now we're trying to figure out what it means 
. It's crazy thinking about the routes they took to get to Australia - did they have some sort of connection with New Guinea or something? 
. The fact that they traveled from Indonesia to Australia like 67,800 years ago? Mind-blowing! 
I mean, who needs proof or concrete evidence when you've got a cool hand stencil and some calcite deposits 
.
I'm not sure what's more mind-blowing - that it's 67,800 years old or that people were already making art back then 
. Can someone please break down the timeline for me in simple terms? 
. I mean, it's cool that they used calcite deposits to date it, but you've got to consider alternative explanations too 
. Prof Pettitt raises some valid points about the possible accidental modifications... still mind-blowing that we're looking at what's essentially ancient graffiti 
. The implications for human migration are huge tho - it's crazy to think those early humans might've reached Sahul via Sulawesi 
. But, gotta keep an open mind and see how further research shakes things up 
.