The oldest artwork in the world

-Three wild pigs-

A painting of 3 Sulawesi warty pigs, made with red ochre pigment was found by the Archaelogist Basran Burhan in the leang tedongnge cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

This painting that dates to 45,500 years ago was first discovered in December 2017, and then announced in 2021.

The painted pigs offers hints at the deep symbolic significance and perhaps spiritual value of Sulawesi warty pigs in the ancient hunting culture. This discovery also proves that the first modern human rock art traditions probably did not begin in Ice Age Europe as long assumed.

Humans have always thought about leaving a mark, or documenting their lives and what is important to them. People since forever knew that art is a lasting legacy that would make big changes in the future, and this painting does nothing but confirm that. Additionally it shows that art is not about intelligence or modernity. It is a human instinct, a natural passion that inhabits our souls.