Cave Painting of a Warty Pig from Indonesia, c.43,500 BCE: this is one of the world's oldest known examples of figurative art, and one of the earliest known depictions of an animal
This painting was discovered at Leang Tedongnge, which is a limestone cave located on the island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia. It was created at least 45,500 years ago, and it depicts a Sulawesi warty pig (Sus celebensis) which is a species that still inhabits the forests of Sulawesi today.
Above: a close-up of the pig's face, showing a pair of "spiky" head crests and preorbital facial warts, which are characteristic features of Sus celebensis
The figure measures 136cm long (about 4.5 feet) from tail-to-snout, and it was painted using dark red mineral pigments; a pair of hand stencils also decorate the wall just above the pig's haunches, and the partial figures of at least two other pigs are visible on the wall several meters away.
Above: two additional paintings are located toward the right side of the wall, but only fragments of the pigs' faces and shoulders remain
The caves of Sulawesi contain the world's oldest known examples of figurative art (i.e. artwork that depicts real or recognizable subjects, like animals and human beings). The oldest figurative painting in the world was discovered in a cave known as Leang Karampuang. It dates back to roughly 51,200 years ago, and it depicts a warty pig with three human-like figures. Unfortunately, that painting is much more faded and badly damaged.
Above: this 51,200-year-old painting from Leang Karampuang is currently recognized as the world's oldest known example of figurative art
Warty pigs appear in over 87% of the prehistoric animal paintings that have been documented in Sulawesi. Many of the other paintings depict a small, buffalo-like creature known as an anoa (genus Bubalus) which is a wild bovid that is also endemic to Indonesia. Both animals can still be found on the island of Sulawesi.
Above: anoas depicted in cave paintings from Leang Timpuseng and Leang Bulu' Sipong
The second-oldest figurative painting in the world comes from a cave known as Leang Bulu Sipong, and it dates back to at least 48,000 years ago.
Archaeologists have been aware of Sulawesi's abundant cave art since the 1950's, but dating techniques were not used on the paintings until 2014. For decades, researchers had assumed that the artwork was less than 10,000 years old, but when animal paintings and hand stencils from seven different caves were finally analyzed in 2014, scientists were shocked to discover that some of the artwork was actually created more than 39,000 years ago.
Since then, archaeologists have discovered and analyzed many other cave paintings from Sulawesi (and some from the neighboring island of Borneo) that date back to between 35,000 and 51,200 years ago.
Above: the cave painting from Leang Tedongnge
When the painting at Leang Tedongnge was discovered in 2017, it briefly qualified as the world's oldest example of figurative artwork and the oldest known depiction of an animal, but it has since been surpassed by two other cave paintings from other sites in Sulawesi. It is now recognized as the third-oldest figurative painting in the world.
All of these discoveries firmly contradict the traditional (and deeply eurocentric) beliefs that were once held regarding the origins of artistic expression, as this article explains:
Previously, the oldest known cave art was thought to have first appeared in Europe 40,000 years ago, showcasing abstract symbols. By 35,000 years ago, the art became more sophisticated, showing horses and other animals.
These latest finds from Indonesia have challenged a long-standing belief that artistic expression – and the cognitive leap that may have accompanied it – began in Europe.
It’s now thought that the capability to create figurative art either emerged before Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa and headed for Europe and Asia more than 60,000 years ago, or that it emerged more than once as humans spread around the globe.
According to this article:
The geographic location of the painting is significant. Although experts have long recognized that humans originated in Africa, “Europe was once thought of as a ‘finishing school’ for humanity,” says archaeologist April Nowell, because all the oldest known examples of art and other sophisticated behaviors were found there. But in reality, the pattern of discoveries just reflected the disproportionate amount of archaeological research that was being carried out in Europe, especially in France.
“These new discoveries add to an already rich record of early and varied rock art from [Indonesia and Australia] and underscores the importance of conducting research outside Europe,” Nowell says.
Unfortunately, many of the cave paintings in Sulawesi and other parts of Indonesia are now rapidly crumbling away as a result of climate change. The limestone surfaces of the cave walls are peeling away at an alarming rate, erasing large sections of the paintings in the process. At some sites, patches of artwork measuring 2-3cm wide are now vanishing every few months.
Sources & More Info:
Science Advances: Oldest Cave Art Found in Sulawesi
CNN: A Warty Pig Painted on a Cave Wall 45,500 Years Ago is the World's Oldest Depiction of an Animal
Smithsonian Magazine: A Journey to the Oldest Cave Paintings in the World
Nature: Narrative Cave Art in Indonesia by 51,200 Years Ago
Nature: Pleistocene Cave Art from Sulawesi
Art Net: 45,000-Year-Old Cave Painting of a Pig May be the Oldest Artwork in the World
Art Net: Some of the Oldest and Most Revered Cave Paintings in the World Are Under Extreme Threat Due to Climate Change
