Cave paintings created by early humans

Cave paintings created by early humans

Handprints found in Sulawesi are distinctive for their sharp claw-like fingertips. This discovery is crucial for understanding art history and the intellectual evolution of humanity revealing the complex symbolic thinking of early humans in the region. Cave handprints have been discovered in southwestern Sulawesi and east Borneo. These cave paintings dating back 48,000 to 51,200 years predate European painting by some of the earliest human art forms to become cave art.

The symbolic meaning related to the relationship between humans and animals indicates that early humans created art not only on cave walls but also throughout history. Human-animal hybrid figures particularly those found in the Maros-Pangap region are sometimes described as "animal-human hybrids" depicting beings with bird reptile or other animal features. Similar to cave art in the Texas canyons these represent cosmic visions and accounts of the past reflecting the art and spirituality of indigenous peoples over 4,000 years ago.

Prehistoric Park Maros in South Sulawesi Indonesia Prehistoric cave painting at the Petta kere cave in the Leang-leang

Abstract narrative art often painted in red combines imaginative storytelling with contemporary narratives and cultural traditions. 44,000-year-old hunting paintings reveal human migration into the region. Spiritual storytelling is older than similar symbolic art forms offering insights into the evolution and behavior of early humans. These are the oldest discovered ancient human cave paintings providing evidence of the lifestyle and beliefs created by early humans.