In July, researchers discovered the oldest known cave painting. Found in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, it depicts three human-like figures and a wild boar. The painting has been dated to 51,200 years ago – 5,000 years older than any other known cave painting.
The discovery continues a trend in which researchers are unearthing increasingly older examples of human art, including those outside Spain and southern France, where most cave art finds have been made.
Guest presenter Maggie Koerth is joined by Dr. Isobel Wisher, a postdoctoral fellow in the Evolution of Early Symbolic Behavior project at Aarhus University in Denmark. Together they discuss how this field of archaeology has changed over the years, how new technologies are making these ancient cave paintings more accessible to the public, and what they can tell us about the human experience.
You can watch Dr. Wisher’s VR recreation of El Castillo cave and its art in Spain on YouTube:
More information
Donate to science on Friday
Invest in high-quality science journalism by donating to Science Friday.
Donate
