The Oldest Cave Painting in East Kalimantan

An international research team led by Indonesian archaeologists has made a groundbreaking discovery. A figurative cave painting estimated to be 40,000 years old in the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat Peninsula, East Kalimantan. Experts believe this is the oldest cave painting in the world.

40,000-Year-Old Cave Art Revealed

Using uranium-series dating, researchers confirmed the painting’s age to be at least 40,000 years. Indonesia’s then Minister of Education and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, emphasized the global significance of this finding.

“This is a highly important discovery. It proves that a sophisticated civilization existed in what is now Indonesia 40,000 years ago. We will continue to study this from broader perspectives,” said Muhadjir during a press conference in Jakarta.

Indonesia to Nominate the Painting for World Heritage Status

The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Education and Culture. Plans to nominate the painting as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Muhadjir expressed confidence in the nomination, considering the international scale and importance of the discovery.

A Global Collaboration of Researchers

The research team includes experts from the National Research Center for Archaeology (Puslit Arkenas), Griffith University (Australia), and Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).

The painting depicts an ancient, unidentified animal species possibly a type of wild banteng. That still roams the forests of Kalimantan today.

Prehistoric Caves Filled with Ancient Art

Since the 1990s, researchers have found a variety of prehistoric cave drawings in the region’s karst formations. These include hand stencils, abstract symbols, and various primitive motifs.

Adhi Agus Oktaviana, a rock art specialist from Puslit Arkenas, noted that in addition to the animal figure dated to 40,000 years ago, some hand stencils might also originate from the same period.

I Made Geria, Head of Puslit Arkenas, highlighted that the caves in Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat are valuable cultural assets. He urged Indonesia to view them as cultural capital to promote national heritage.

The Mystery of Ice Age Artists

Pindi Setiawan, a rock art expert from ITB said. That the identity of the Ice Age artists and what happened to them remains a mystery. Radiocarbon dating also shows that around 20,000 years ago, cave art styles in Kalimantan shifted dramatically—likely in response to extreme global climate changes during the Ice Age.

Redefining the Origins of Cave Art

Adam Brumm, an archaeologist from Griffith University, stated that the joint Indonesian–Australian research suggests cave painting traditions may have spread from Kalimantan to Sulawesi and eventually to Australia, rather than solely originating in Europe.

“These two ancient cave art discoveries—one in Indonesia and one in Europe—emerged at almost the same time in distant corners of the Paleolithic world. This challenges the idea that Europe was the sole birthplace of cave art,” Brumm concluded.

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