A recently studied hand stencil from Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island, southeast of Sulawesi, has been dated to at least 67,800 years ago. If confirmed, it would be the oldest known example of cave art anywhere in the world .

The stencil is part of a wider network of rock art sites across Muna and neighbouring Buton Island. While the pigment is heavily faded, researchers identified clear traces of fingers and palm, indicating deliberate human marking rather than natural staining.

Taken together, the cave paintings suggest early humans in the region were not only capable seafarers, but also abstract thinkers — using art to express identity, belief or social meaning long before written history began.

The findings strengthen evidence that early humans in Southeast Asia were producing symbolic art tens of thousands of years earlier than once believed, challenging long-held views that such behaviour first emerged in Europe.

How it was dated

To establish its age, scientists analysed mineral deposits that formed over the artwork using uranium-series dating. This method provides a minimum age, meaning the painting could be significantly older than the figure reported.

The discoveries also carry implications for human migration. Sulawesi lies along the route early humans likely took as they moved from mainland Asia towards Australia via the ancient Sahul landmass. The presence of advanced art supports the idea that these populations had complex cognitive abilities before reaching Australia.

Some researchers caution that questions remain over which human species created the artworks, noting that Denisovans and early Homo sapiens may have shared similar artistic capacities. Others argue the dating methods are robust and consistent across multiple sites.

The case was prosecuted under the Witchcraft Act of 1914 , a law passed when Zambia was still Northern Rhodesia under British colonial rule. It criminalises anyone “pretending to exercise supernatural power, sorcery or enchantment” to cause fear, annoyance or injury. Convictions can carry sentences of up to three years in prison.

“Any person who represents himself as able by supernatural means to cause fear, annoyance, or injury to another in mind, person or property; or pretends to exercise any kind of supernatural power, witchcraft, sorcery or enchantment calculated to cause such fear, annoyance or injury; shall be liable to a fine of not more than one thousand five hundred penalty units or to imprisonment with or without hard labour for any term not exceeding two years,” the Act states.

Candunde and Phiri were arrested in December 2024 after a hotel cleaner reported strange noises in their room. Authorities later claimed to have found a live chameleon, a red cloth, white powder, and an animal tail, items prosecutors argued were intended for witchcraft rituals. 

Prosecutors alleged that the pair were hired by a relative of opposition MP Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, who is facing trial on robbery and attempted murder charges. The case was unusual not only because it involved the alleged targeting of a sitting president, but also because it became one of the few modern prosecutions under the Witchcraft Act.

Legal experts, however, say the conviction highlights the vagueness and outdated nature of the 1914 law. Lawyer Yaiman Bande noted that it is nearly impossible to prove witchcraft using the standard rules of evidence. “Since there is no definition as to what exactly amounts to witchcraft nor procedure in proving its practice, this question would undoubtedly pose a huge challenge to a court of law,” he said.

Some traditional leaders and rights advocates have called for the repeal or reform of the Act, arguing that it undermines justice and creates room for abuse. 

Zambia heads into general elections in 2026, with President Hichilema seeking a second term. UK-based academic Keith Silika warn that using colonial-era laws in high-profile political cases sets a dangerous precedent.

However, Zambia is not alone. Similar witchcraft laws remain on the books in neighbouring former British colonies such as Zimbabwe and Malawi, though both countries have introduced reforms to reflect modern realities.