Hand stencil dated to at least 67,800 years old Researchers used uranium‑series dating of mineral crusts overlaying the pigment to establish a minimum age of 67,800 years for the hand outlines in Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island, making it the oldest reliably dated cave art known to date [1][2]. The handprints were created by blowing pigment around a hand pressed to the wall, leaving negative outlines with elongated fingertip marks. This dating surpasses the previously oldest European example by roughly 1,100 years.

Spraying technique produced claw‑like finger motifs The artists applied pigment in a spray‑like manner, then narrowed and elongated the fingertip impressions to form a distinctive claw‑shaped pattern [1][2]. This method indicates a sophisticated understanding of tool use and symbolic representation far earlier than previously documented. The negative stencil technique also suggests intentionality in producing recognizable human forms.

Discovery expands timeline of symbolic behavior beyond Europe The Sulawesi stencil predates the 66,700‑year‑old hand stencil in Spain’s Maltravieso cave, challenging the view that Europe was the cradle of early art [2]. AP adds that cross‑hatched markings in South Africa dated to about 73,000 years provide a broader global context for early creativity [1]. Together, these findings support a model where symbolic thought emerged across multiple regions during the Upper Pleistocene.

Site reveals millennia‑long artistic activity and uncertain authorship Later layers in the same cave contain figures, birds, and horse‑like animals dated to roughly 20,000 years ago (BBC) and other works around 4,000 years old (AP), indicating continuous use of the site over tens of thousands of years [1][2]. Researchers have not resolved whether the earliest handprints were made by modern Homo sapiens or by Denisovans, an extinct hominin present in the region [1]. The long span of art underscores a persistent cultural tradition on Sulawesi.