Abstruse
Humans seem to have an adaptive predisposition for inventing, telling and consuming storiesane. Prehistoric cave art provides the most straight insight that nosotros take into the earliest storytelling2,iii,4,v, in the course of narrative compositions or 'scenes'two,5 that characteristic articulate figurative depictions of sets of figures in spatial proximity to each other, and from which one tin can infer deportment taking identify amidst the figuresfive. The Upper Palaeolithic cave art of Europe hosts the oldest previously known images of humans and animals interacting in recognizable scenes2,5, and of therianthropeshalf dozen,7—abstract beings that combine qualities of both people and animals, and which arguably communicated narrative fiction of some kind (folklore, religious myths, spiritual beliefs and so on). In this tape of creative expression (spanning from almost 40 thousand years agone (ka) until the beginning of the Holocene epoch at effectually 10 ka), scenes in cavern art are generally rare and chronologically tardily (dating to about 21–14 ka)seven, and articulate representations of therianthropes are uncommon6—the oldest such image is a carved figurine from Germany of a human with a feline head (dated to about 40–39 ka)viii. Here nosotros describe an elaborate stone art panel from the limestone cave of Leang Bulu' Sipong four (Sulawesi, Indonesia) that portrays several figures that appear to represent therianthropes hunting wild pigs and dwarf bovids; this painting has been dated to at least 43.9 ka on the ground of uranium-series assay of overlying speleothems. This hunting scene is—to our cognition—currently the oldest pictorial record of storytelling and the earliest figurative artwork in the world.
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Acknowledgements
This enquiry was funded by Australian Research Council (ARC) fellowships awarded to M.A. (FT170100025) and A.B. (FT160100119), with further financial support from Griffith Academy. We thank Indonesia's Land Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK), I. Mahmud (Balai Arkeologi Sulawesi Selatan) and L. Aksa (Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Makassar) for authorizing the research; and P. T. Semen Tonasa for providing access to the site. We acknowledge K. Kottermair, A. Jalandoni, D. P. McGahan, K. Newman and M. Langley for assistance with effigy production. We give thanks P. Veth, B. David and P. Southward. C. Taçon for comments on the paper.
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Contributions
A.B. and Thousand.A. conceived and led the research with senior collaborators B.H., P.H.S., I.M.G. and R.L. The rock art site was discovered by H. as part of a BPCB Makassar field survey led past K.T., and involving specialist input from A.J. and A. Rock art was recorded and analysed in the field by A.A.O., B.B. and R.S., and A.A.O. produced the digital tracings of parietal motifs. Thousand.A. identified and collected the coralloid speleothem samples at the stone art site and conducted the micromilling and subsampling of each speleothem sample. All in-field sampling involving rock fine art carried out past M.A. was done nether the straight supervision of R.L. J.-x.Z. conducted the U-series dating. M.A. and J.-x.Z. analysed and interpreted U-series information, and discussed and approved correction factors and other methodological details pertinent to the dating results. A.B. and Thou.A. wrote the newspaper, with key contributions from the other authors. The figures were produced and/or designed by A.B. M.A. and J.-ten.Z. prepared the Methods. All authors reviewed and edited the paper.
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Extended data figures and tables
Extended Information Fig. 1 The oldest hunting scene and therianthrope images known from Europe.
a, b, The shaft scene from Lascaux (about 21–14 ka) (a). This stone art panel is widely interpreted as depicting a bird-headed human effigy (b) beingness charged by a bison that information technology has wounded with a spear; in a, the latter object is visible below the partly disembowelled bison. Some other object depicted in this scene perhaps represents a spearthrower with a sculpted representation of a bird at the proximal stopxix,20. c, d, The panthera leo-man figurine from Hohlenstein–Stadelviii. Carved in mammoth ivory, this 31.1-cm-alpine epitome of Aurignacian historic period (well-nigh 40–39 ka) appears to represent a male person human effigy with the head of a cave lion8. The image in b is a digital tracing of the relevant department in a. Sources: Alamy, used under licence (a, c); Shutterstock, used under licence (d).
Extended Data Fig. 2 Leang Bulu' Sipong 4 rock fine art site.
a, b, The site is located on the east side of an isolated limestone karst tower. c, Cross-section and program view of the cave site. The cave with the dated rock fine art console is positioned in a limestone cliff face and forms the upper level or 'annex', above a valley-floor entrance cave and shelter complex (a, c). The entrance to Leang Bulu' Sipong iv is a small opening about 7.5 m above the footing floor of the lower cavern (a). The cavern is lit by a natural opening on the northeast confront (c). The cave itself is formed in a sharply curved phreatic passage measuring iv yard in maximum width, and which is 5.ix m high at the entrance and 5.half-dozen m high at the deepest point inside. The main stone art console is situated in the light zone on the western wall of the cave, nearly 3 1000 to a higher place the ground flooring surface (b). Other rock fine art within the cave includes poorly preserved mitt stencils and animal paintings. Bated from art, no other evidence for human being occupation was observed in the cave.
Extended Data Fig. three Details of pig 1 and pig 2.
a, b, Pig ane shown in a digital tracing (a) and a photograph enhanced using DStretch (b). c, Photograph of pig 2 enhanced using DStretch. Sus scrofa 1 measures 123 × 58 cm. The painting is desperately weathered. Much of the body area, and some of the head and mouth, are missing owing to at least two temporally distinct phases of erosion and flaking of the cavern-wall surface. In the time that separated these periods of weathering, three narrow-fingered manus stencils32 were created in the upper trunk expanse of the pig. No canine tusks are axiomatic, just the animal is patently portrayed with a row of premolars and molars in the maxilla and mandible; the teeth are precipitous and thus possibly relatively unworn—perhaps indicating that the pig was a relatively young adult. No sexual characteristics are axiomatic. Pig two measures 84 × 42 cm and is besides essentially deteriorated: most of the head area, and considerable portions of the body, are missing. This pig is positioned to the rear of squealer 1 and faces in the same direction as this larger suid. It appears as though it is following backside it. A prominent crest or tuft of head hair, represented by a row of short vertical lines on the crown, is evident in the surviving office of the head expanse; this is a diagnostic morphological trait of the endemic Sulawesi warty pig (S. celebensis)12.
Extended Data Fig. 4 Details of therianthrope ane.
a, b, Therianthrope 1 shown in a photograph enhanced using DStretch (a) and in a digital tracing (b). c, Photo of therianthrope ane, enhanced using DStretch, positioned adjacent to the head area of hog 1. On the leftmost side of the panel, therianthrope 1 (26 × 12 cm) is facing towards pig one and is possibly crouched down in an agile position. In its left hand it is belongings a long spear or rope that appears to exist pointed directly at the head surface area of this animal, and may once have continued with it; it is not possible to be certain because this part of the panel is missing attributable to exfoliation. Therianthrope 1 is depicted with a short, curved mammal-like tail (d, highlighted with red pointer). Although the head area of therianthrope 1 is incomplete considering of the deterioration of the cave wall, a muzzle or beak-like confront is also axiomatic.
Extended Data Fig. v Details of therianthrope 2, anoa 1 and anoa two.
a, b, Therianthrope 2 and anoa 2 shown in a digital tracing (a) and photograph (b). c, Photo of therianthrope ii, enhancing using DStretch. d, Photograph, enhancing using DStretch, of the unidentified, possible human figure to the left of anoa 1. Anoa 2 measures 74 × 29 cm. Although deteriorated, anoa two is clearly a dwarf bovid based on the overall body course, long tapering neck and the two straight horns visible in the head surface area. Therianthrope 2 is much smaller in size than anoa 2, and is positioned directly in a higher place it; therianthrope 2 appears to be property a spear or rope that is entering (or attached to) the back of anoa 2. The area in which the head of therianthrope 2 would have been has been obliterated past exfoliation of the cavern-wall surface, only although both of its artillery are definitely homo-like and it is evidently grasping a spear or rope, the line of the back and the shape of the neck seem to be notably similar to that of an anoa. Moreover, the bottom one-half of the figure is distinct from that of the top half, with a tapering profile that possibly merges into the base of operations of a thick tail and with short, curved limbs splayed out to the side. In our stance, this part of the body resembles the lower half of a lizard or crocodile. It is thus possible that therianthrope ii represents a composite of at to the lowest degree 3 different kinds of animals: a homo, an anoa and a quadrupedal reptile. Anoa 1, a small and incomplete animal figure (51 × 24 cm) is too visible in this office of the rock fine art panel. The head is missing simply the overall form of the surviving portions of the body (which includes a tail) implies that it is an anoa. A possible man figure next to anoa i, and another motif above and to the left of it, are also poorly preserved for identification.
Extended Data Fig. 6 Details of therianthropes three–8.
All photographs accept been enhanced using DStretch. a, Therianthrope iii (5 × 3 cm) is a stick-like figure with upraised arms and a projecting cage-similar face up. Therianthrope 3 is the but one of the therianthropes at Leang Bulu' Sipong 4 non depicted with a spear or rope. b, Therianthrope four (6.5 × 1 cm) is an patently bird-headed man figure holding a spear or rope. c, Therianthrope 5 (8 × 2 cm) is poorly preserved, but seems to be a human figure with a face similar to that of therianthrope i. The effigy is positioned near an object that may be a spear or rope. d, Therianthrope half-dozen (five × 1 cm) has a sinuous reptilian body and a bird-like confront. A spear or rope is lying below this figure. e, Therianthrope seven (6 × 2 cm) apparently has a homo body and upper artillery (the legs are besides poorly preserved for analysis), merely has a pointy head and face that are not human being-like in form. This figure is seemingly property a very long spear or rope that is trailing from the chest area of anoa 3, just below the pharynx (Fig. 2c, d). f, Therianthrope 8 (iv × 1.seven cm) is also grasping an extremely long spear or rope using 2 human-like arms, but the shape of the trunk, neck and head of this figure—especially the elongate, projecting face—are not human being-like. The object held by therianthrope eight appears to trail from the lower neck or upper shoulder of anoa 3 (Fig. 2c, d).
Extended Data Fig. 7 Coralloid speleothem sample BSP4.2, and U-serial dates.
a, b, Location of the in situ speleothem overlying part of pig 1. c, Cross-department of BSP4.2 showing the pigment layer sandwiched between the cave-wall surface and layers of calcite comprising the speleothem that formed over the artwork. Solution U-series dates for a full of five micromilled subsamples (n = 5) (BSP4.2.ane to BSP4.2.5) are indicated. The dotted lines represent schematically the micromilling spits used during the subsampling procedure. Minimum dates are quoted as the measured age minus 2σ, rounded to ii decimal places.
Extended Information Fig. eight Coralloid speleothem sample BSP4.3, and U-serial dates.
a,b, Location of the in situ speleothem overlying function of pig 1. c, Cross-department of BSP4.three showing the paint layer sandwiched between the cave-wall surface and layers of calcite comprising the speleothem that formed over the artwork. Solution U-series dates for a full of 5 micromilled subsamples (n = five) (BSP4.3.1 to BSP4.3.five) are indicated. The dotted lines represent schematically the micromilling spits used during the subsampling procedure. Minimum dates are quoted as measured historic period minus iiσ, rounded to two decimal places.
Extended Data Fig. 9 Coralloid speleothem sample BSP4.4, and U-series dates.
a, Location of the in situ speleothem overlying part of anoa 2. b, Cross-section of BSP4.four showing the pigment layer sandwiched between the cavern-wall surface and layers of calcite comprising the speleothem that formed over the artwork. Solution U-series dates for a total of three (north = 3) micromilled subsamples (BSP4.4.i to BSP4.4.3) are indicated. The dotted lines represent schematically the micromilling spits used during the subsampling process. Minimum dates are quoted as measured historic period minus 2σ, rounded to two decimal places.
Extended Data Fig. 10 Coralloid speleothem sample BSP4.5, and U-serial dates.
a, Location of the in situ speleothem overlying part of anoa 3. b, Cross-department of BSP4.5 showing the pigment layer sandwiched between the cavern-wall surface and layers of calcite comprising the speleothem that formed over the artwork. Solution U-series dates for a total of five (n = 5) micromilled subsamples (BSP4.5.1 to BSP4.v.5) are indicated. The dotted lines represent schematically the micromilling spits used during the subsampling process. Minimum dates are quoted as measured historic period minus 2σ, rounded to two decimal places.
Supplementary information
Supplementary Figure
3D PhotoScan model of the dated rock fine art panel at Leang Bulu' Sipong iv.
Reporting Summary
Supplementary Table
Uranium-series dating results for coralloid speleothem samples from Leang Bulu' Sipong iv. This table contains the results of uranium-series disequilibrium dating of rock fine art motifs (n=4). Notation: Ratios are activity ratios calculated from the atomic ratios. Errors are at 2δ level. The ages are calculated using Isoplot 3.75 Program37 with decay constants from ref. 36. Corrected ages were calculated assuming initial/detrital 230Th/232Th activity ratio equal 0.825 (± 50%) (the majority-Earth value, which is the virtually ordinarily used for initial/detrital 230Th corrections).
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Aubert, G., Lebe, R., Oktaviana, A.A. et al. Earliest hunting scene in prehistoric art. Nature 576, 442–445 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1806-y
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DOI : https://doi.org/x.1038/s41586-019-1806-y
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