Hand stencils in Indonesian cave are world’s oldest known artworks

Rock art found in Indonesia dates to at least 67,800 years ago, representing the earliest known cave art made by humans. These findings provide insights into the movement and cultural lives of populations that contributed to the ancestry of Indigenous Australian and Papuan people. The cave art suggests that the ancestors of Indigenous Australians and Papuans brought sophisticated culture.

Publication Details

Journal
Nature
Published
2026-01-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00018-9
Primary Topic
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Hand stencils in Indonesian cave are world’s oldest known artworks

Nature
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
article

Hand stencils in Indonesian cave are world’s oldest known artworks

article en

Abstract

Rock art found in Indonesia dates to at least 67,800 years ago, representing the earliest known cave art made by humans. These findings provide insights into the movement and cultural lives of populations that contributed to the ancestry of Indigenous Australian and Papuan people. The cave art suggests that the ancestors of Indigenous Australians and Papuans brought sophisticated culture.

Nature
Openalex Percentile: Top 85%
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Hand stencils in Indonesian cave are world’s oldest known artworks · Nature (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS