Palaeolithic cave art in Borneo

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dc.contributor.authorAubert, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorSetiawan, Pen_AU
dc.contributor.authorOktaviana, AAen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBrumm, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorSulistyarto, PHen_AU
dc.contributor.authorSaptomo, EWen_AU
dc.contributor.authorIstiawan, Ben_AU
dc.contributor.authorMa'rifat, TAen_AU
dc.contributor.authorWahyuono, VNen_AU
dc.contributor.authorAtmoko, FTen_AU
dc.contributor.authorZhao, JXen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHuntley, Jen_AU
dc.contributor.authorTaçon, PSCen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHoward, DLen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBrand, HEAen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2021-12-03T04:19:33Zen_AU
dc.date.available2021-12-03T04:19:33Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2018-11-11en_AU
dc.date.statistics2021-11-04en_AU
dc.description.abstractFigurative cave paintings from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi date to at least 35,000 years ago (ka) and hand-stencil art from the same region has a minimum date of 40 ka1. Here we show that similar rock art was created during essentially the same time period on the adjacent island of Borneo. Uranium-series analysis of calcium carbonate deposits that overlie a large reddish-orange figurative painting of an animal at Lubang Jeriji Saléh—a limestone cave in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo—yielded a minimum date of 40 ka, which to our knowledge is currently the oldest date for figurative artwork from anywhere in the world. In addition, two reddish-orange-coloured hand stencils from the same site each yielded a minimum uranium-series date of 37.2 ka, and a third hand stencil of the same hue has a maximum date of 51.8 ka. We also obtained uranium-series determinations for cave art motifs from Lubang Jeriji Saléh and three other East Kalimantan karst caves, which enable us to constrain the chronology of a distinct younger phase of Pleistocene rock art production in this region. Dark-purple hand stencils, some of which are decorated with intricate motifs, date to about 21–20 ka and a rare Pleistocene depiction of a human figure—also coloured dark purple—has a minimum date of 13.6 ka. Our findings show that cave painting appeared in eastern Borneo between 52 and 40 ka and that a new style of parietal art arose during the Last Glacial Maximum. It is now evident that a major Palaeolithic cave art province existed in the eastern extremity of continental Eurasia and in adjacent Wallacea from at least 40 ka until the Last Glacial Maximum, which has implications for understanding how early rock art traditions emerged, developed and spread in Pleistocene Southeast Asia and further afield. © 2018 Springer Nature Limiteden_AU
dc.identifier.citationAubert, M., Setiawan, P., Oktaviana, A. A., Brumm, A., Sulistyarto, P. H., Saptomo, E. W., Istiawan, B., Ma'rifat, T. A., Wahyuono, V. N., Atmoko, F. T., Zhao, J.-X., Huntley, J., Taçon, P. S. C., Howard, D. L. & Brand, H. E. A. (2018). Palaeolithic cave art in Borneo. Nature, 564(7735), 254-257. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0679-9en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0028-0836en_AU
dc.identifier.issue7735en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleNatureen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination254-257en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0679-9en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/12333en_AU
dc.identifier.volume564en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherSpringer Natureen_AU
dc.subjectCavesen_AU
dc.subjectCultural objectsen_AU
dc.subjectIndonesiaen_AU
dc.subjectArchaeologyen_AU
dc.subjectAnimalsen_AU
dc.subjectHistorical aspectsen_AU
dc.subjectPopulation densityen_AU
dc.subjectCarbon 14en_AU
dc.titlePalaeolithic cave art in Borneoen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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