In 2019, a group of scientist found an old rock art panel that has been dated approximately 44.000 years old, in the limestone cave of Leang Bulu’ Sipong, Sulawesi, Indonesia. They published their invention in Nature Journal, vol. 576, December 2019.
In the previous knowledge, the oldest scene of humans and animals is usually found in the cave painting in Europe, such as, the Chauvet Cave in France that has been dated about 37,000 years.
According to the scientists (Maxime Aubert, Adam Brumm, Adhi Agus Oktviana, etc.), the Sulawesi cave painting depicts the hunting scene of therianthropes (mythological being that has both people and animal qualities) chase wild pigs and dwarf bovids. The therianthropes were also confronting an anoa. The hunters use spears and ropes to hunt the animals. The hunters look like tiny human figures with a head, tail, or other body parts of animals.
How do we appreciate the prehistoric cave painting?
Some theories can help us to understand prehistoric rock art, among them are cave painting is seen as a way to transmit information, or other theories describe them as a religious or spiritual purpose activity. Prehistoric men might be paint the hunting scene to ‘catch’ the soul or spirit to hunt the animals more easily. Other possibilities are the painting is a representation of animistic belief or manifestation of instinctual need to express the self and the world. It might also be a recording of life experiences and stories from the members of their group.
Up to now, although the purpose of this cave painting is debatable, it is still admiring for its beauty of color, unique shape figures, and prehistoric humans’ creativity on this rock art panel.
Other learning from the Prehistoric cave art is, as quoted from John Berger, whatever that human has done to animals, such as domestication, enslavement, or extermination, they might be done to the other human, especially for them that are considered as inferior.
The prehistoric rock art panel also gives us a picture of how humans in the prehistoric era try to deal with their fear and hope.