A hand stencil on an Indonesian cave wall has been identified as the world's oldest known work of art, dating back 67,800 years. The discovery, made on a small island off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia, pushes back the timeline of human artistic expression and provides the earliest evidence of human presence in the region between continental Asia and Australia.

Archaeologist Adhi Agus Oktaviana, from Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency, and his team have spent the last six years surveying 44 rock art sites, primarily caves, on Sulawesi's southeastern peninsula. The hand stencil was found during this extensive survey.

The stencil, a faded outline of a human hand, predates previously known examples of rock art. This finding suggests that artistic expression was a part of human culture much earlier than previously understood. The research team believes the art was created by pressing a hand against the cave wall and then spraying pigment around it, leaving a negative image.

The discovery not only redefines the timeline of art history but also offers insights into the cognitive abilities and cultural practices of early humans. The presence of such art indicates a level of abstract thought and symbolic communication.

Oktaviana and his colleagues plan to continue their research in the region, hoping to uncover more examples of early art and further illuminate the history of human migration and cultural development in Southeast Asia. The ongoing exploration of these cave sites promises to reveal more about the artistic and intellectual lives of our ancestors.