Thread: Sulawesi cave art challenges stereotypes.

Cave Paintings in Indonesia Redraw Picture of Earliest Art

Ancient art found in a cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been dated to approx. 40,000 years old. This is equal in age to the oldest European cave art, and changes views of the development of art in early humans.

There has been a view that humanity went through a major genetic change 30,000 to 40,000 years ago, improving cultural abilities, and leading to the first art. I have always been skeptical of this idea. I see it more likely that art in some form goes back to the origins of our species 200,000 years ago, but cultural growth gradually led to it becoming more sophisticated, with no genetic change required. There may have been similar art works much earlier than these ones, even. But time can cover up or destroy.