Record #00387Culture & Entertainment archive
Oldest Scientifically Dated Cave Hand Stencil
A hand stencil in Liang Metanduno Cave on Muna Island, Indonesia, was made at least 67,800 years ago, making it among the earliest securely dated examples of cave hand-stencil art.
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Current Record
at least67,800years old
Current record value
- Start date
- —
- Record status
- VerifiedView verification details ↗Report an issue
Overview
Archive NoteResearchers investigated prehistoric hand stencils in Liang Metanduno Cave on Muna Island in southeast Sulawesi. Sample LMET2 preserves a faded section of hand pigment about 14 by 10 cm, with a finger possibly modified to appear claw-like.
Laser-ablation uranium-series dating of calcite overlying the hand stencil gave an age of 71,600 ± 3,800 years. A conservative minimum of 67,800 years establishes the artwork's extreme antiquity and contributes evidence for early human culture and island migration in Southeast Asia.
Record history
1 Milestones- at least 67,800 years oldLiang Metanduno LMET2 hand stencilLiang Metanduno Cave, Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi, IndonesiaCurrent Record
Sources
Evidence & ReferencesVerification basis and limitations
VerifiedThe record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: comparison of consistent primary data
A 2026 Nature primary study used laser-ablation uranium-series dating of overlying calcite to establish a minimum age of 67,800 years and directly compared it to previous rock-art minima. It is a lower bound, not an exact date.
- Verification assessment
- 2026-11-05
- Last editorial review
- 2026-11-05
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