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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Ian Sample Science editor

Hand shape in Indonesian cave may be world’s oldest known rock art

The faded stencil of a hand on rock
The faded outline of a hand had gone unnoticed between more recent paintings of animals and other figures. Photograph: Nature

The faded outline of a hand on a cave wall in Indonesia may be the world’s oldest known rock art, according to archaeologists who say it was created at least 67,800 years ago.

The ancient hand stencil was discovered in a limestone cave popular with tourists on Muna Island, part of south-eastern Sulawesi, where it had gone unnoticed between more recent paintings of animals and other figures.

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