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The world's oldest record: A 44,000-year-old mural was found in a cave in Indonesia - Walla! news

2019-12-13T09:16:57.891Z


The mural is considered to be the oldest human record ever found. The painting was discovered after a researcher moved a fig tree and revealed the entrance to the cave. The painting is also considered one of the oldest murals ...


The world's oldest record: A 44,000-year-old mural was found in a cave in Indonesia

The mural is considered to be the oldest human record ever found. The painting was discovered after a researcher moved a fig tree and revealed the entrance to the cave. The painting is also considered one of the oldest murals painted in it. "We've never seen anything like this," archaeologists from the team of researchers said

The world's oldest record: A 44,000-year-old mural was found in a cave in Indonesia

Photo: Reuters, Edit: Amit Simcha

(Video: Archaeologists unveiled in Peru a 3,800-year mural reflecting the importance of water)

A recent painting in a cave called "Bolo'Sifong 4" in South Sulawesi, one of the Indonesian islands, is perhaps the oldest documented event in history. The painting shows Buffalo being hunted by creatures that are half human and half alive, holding spears and perhaps ropes.

The study's findings on the painting were presented in a journal on nature by researchers at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. Adam Brom, an archaeologist from the team of researchers, said that "I saw the paintings about two years ago, after a colleague from Indonesia moved a fig tree to reach the cave entrance and discovered it." Brom added that "the pictures appeared on my cellphone screen," he said.

The painting is nearly five meters long, and depicts a buffalo species of "Anoa" as well as a number of wild boars found on Sulawesi Island. Alongside them are human-looking characters, but they have animal characteristics such as tails and muzzle. In another section, there are buffalo surrounded by a number of spears holding spears.

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Researchers in the cave where the painting is located (Photo: Reuters)

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The painting from Sulawesi is not the oldest painting in the world. Last year, scientists claimed to have found "the oldest painting ever" on a rock in South Africa. They estimated his age to be 73,000 years. Therefore, the painting may not be the oldest, but according to researchers, it may be the oldest documented event that exists. Earlier art on rocks or walls found in Europe dates back to 21-14 thousand years, and was seen as an art depicting the world's oldest narrative.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Brom. "I mean, we've seen hundreds of types of rock art in this area, but we've never seen anything that describes a hunting event." However, other researchers have questioned the story described in one panel, claiming that it may be a series of events drawn over a long period of time. "Not a single occurrence is described here," said Paul Petit, an archaeologist and mural expert at the University of Durham, UK.

In addition, the painting from Sulawesi can also be one of the oldest murals of an animal ever painted. Last year, a cave mural in Borneo was considered the oldest painting of an animal; The painting is at least 40,000 years old.

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The painting discovered in the cave (Photo: Reuters)

The painting depicting the world's oldest event? The painting revealed on the cave wall (Photo: Reuters)

In order to date the painting, the researchers analyzed a certain mineral called calcite, which accumulated on the wall on which the painting is based. The calcite undergoes a process in which radioactive uranium in the mineral itself degrades, decays and becomes thorium, a radioactive chemical element, and thus the age of the mineral can be calculated. The team measured the different isotopic levels in the mineral and the thorium, and thus discovered that the calcite on one of the pig's parts began to develop some 43,000 years ago, and the layers of the same material on the buffalo in the painting evolved some 40,000 years ago.

Source: walla

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