Cave Art, Indonesia: A Field Trip

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Archeology, Culture, Art & Environment

Ed Hessler 

BBC Indonesia was given access to the cave on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia containing a panel of paintings showing wild pigs, one in spectacular detail. It is almost as though it is a video--the sense of movement is so strong.

The preceding Wiki entry has some details about the painting and notes that it is "likely a Sulawesi or Celebes warty pig (Sus celebensis)".  It is estimated to have been made 45,000 ya, so far the world's oldest known animal cave painting and also the "earliest evidence of human settlement of the region." Wiki also includes a link to information about the species.

This area is mountainous and gorgeous. Here I am in Minnesota, able to take a field trip to the cave to see this incredibly beautiful art work as well as listen to the comments made about it. This like the art is an incredible gift.

The video is 3m 08s long.