Archaeologists Invite The Community To Take Care Of Sulawesi's Prehistoric Painting

Prehistoric paintings in the form of pig images and human-like figures in Leang Karampuanang, Maros, South Sulawesi. (ANTARA Sultra/dok/ZK)

JAKARTA - People who visit prehistoric image sites in the Maros to Pangkep cars cluster areas, South Sulawesi, are advised to preserve this cultural heritage.

Researcher from the Archaeological Research Collaboration Center of Sulawesi and BRIN, Basran Burhan, emphasized the importance of complying with the rules set by the Cultural Preservation Center (BPK) Region XIX Makassar to protect this valuable relic.

Recently, social media has been busy discussing the oldest prehistoric paintings in the world found in Leang Tedongnge, Pangkep, and Leang Karampuang, Maros. We hope that the public can respect this site by not destroying or increasing graffiti around the painting," Basran said when contacted from Kendari, as quoted by ANTARA.

Basran, who is one of the archaeologists who discovered the painting, revealed that images of Sulawesi pigs and human handprints in Leang Tedongnge were first discovered with a team of archaeologists from Hasanuddin University (Unhas) in 2017. After in-depth research, the results of these findings were only published to the public in 2021 and are estimated to be around 45,500 years old.

"So far, we have identified 734 prehistoric sites along the Maros-Pangkep cars cluster, and about 70 percent of them, or about 454 sites, have wall paintings in the form of anoa images, Sulawesi pigs, and human handprints," he explained.

In addition, there are also bird paintings found in several locations, although they are estimated to be younger than pig paintings and anoa. Recent research has even found paintings estimated to be 51,200 years old, depicting Sulawesi pigs, human-like figures, and handprints in Maros.

"It is possible that there are other paintings that are older and have not been found. Therefore, it is important for all of us to maintain and preserve this archaeological wealth," concluded Basran.