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Rock Art in Indonesia Dated to 40,000 Years Ago

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA—According to a report in The Guardian, images of animals discovered in Indonesian Borneo’s Lubang Jeriji Saléh Cave could be at least 40,000 years old, based upon uranium series analysis of calcite on the limestone cave walls. The dates suggest the images are some 4,500 years older than cave art depicting animals found on the nearby island of Sulawesi. The three animals, drawn with reddish-orange ochre, are thought to be Bornean banteng, a type of wild cattle that still lives on the island. Hand stencils were created above and between the images of the animals. To read about the discovery of cave art on Sulawesi, go to “On the Origins of Art.”

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