A hand stencil in Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island, off Sulawesi in Indonesia, has a minimum age of 67,800 years, according to laser-ablation uranium-series dating of overlying mineral crusts published in Nature in January 2026. It beats a Spanish hand stencil dated to about 66,700 years and the previous Sulawesi record of 51,200 years.
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A hand stencil in Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island, off Sulawesi in Indonesia, has a minimum age of 67,800 years, according to laser-ablation uranium-series dating of overlying mineral crusts published in Nature in January 2026. It beats a Spanish hand stencil dated to about 66,700 years and the previous Sulawesi record of 51,200 years.
The greatest reliably established minimum age of a human-made image on a rock surface.
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1 accepted Claim, with 1 linked evidence records.
Permanent ID limitsregistry.com/limits/LR-OLDEST-KNOWN-ROCK-ART
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Limits Registry. LR-OLDEST-KNOWN-ROCK-ART. Oldest known rock art. 2026.