Overview
- The partial red hand stencil was found in Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia.
- Mineral crusts over the pigment yielded a minimum age of 67,800 years, surpassing a Spanish hand stencil previously cited as the oldest.
- Researchers report deliberate narrowing and elongation of the finger outlines, suggesting symbolic intent rather than simple marking.
- The find strengthens arguments for an early northern corridor through Wallacea into Sahul by roughly 65,000 years ago, though the maker remains uncertain.
- Dating and surveys indicate the cave wall preserves artworks spanning tens of millennia, and the team plans further fieldwork to extend the record.