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The global implications of the early surviving rock art of greater Southeast Asia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 January 2015

Paul S.C. Taçon ,
Noel Hidalgo Tan ,
Sue O’Connor ,
Ji Xueping ,
Li Gang ,
Darren Curnoe ,
David Bulbeck ,
Budianto Hakim ,
Iwan Sumantri  and
Heng Than
...Show all authors
Paul S.C. Taçon
Affiliation:
PERAHU, School of Humanities, Gold Coast campus, Griffith University, Queensland 4222, Australia; (Author for correspondence; Email: p.tacon@griffith.edu.au)
Noel Hidalgo Tan
Affiliation:
Archaeology and Natural History, School of Culture, History and Language, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
Sue O’Connor
Affiliation:
Archaeology and Natural History, School of Culture, History and Language, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
Ji Xueping
Affiliation:
Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, China
Li Gang
Affiliation:
Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Cultural Relics Administration Office, Zhongdian, Yunnan, China
Darren Curnoe
Affiliation:
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
David Bulbeck
Affiliation:
Archaeology and Natural History, School of Culture, History and Language, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
Budianto Hakim
Affiliation:
Balai Arkeologi, Makassar, Jalan Pajjaiyang no. 13, Sudiang, Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Iwan Sumantri
Affiliation:
Archaeology Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Heng Than
Affiliation:
APSARA Authority, Apsara Road, Boeung Don Pa Village, Slakram Commune, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
Im Sokrithy
Affiliation:
APSARA Authority, Apsara Road, Boeung Don Pa Village, Slakram Commune, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
Stephen Chia
Affiliation:
Centre for Global Archaeological Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
Khuon Khun-Neay
Affiliation:
APSARA Authority, Apsara Road, Boeung Don Pa Village, Slakram Commune, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
Soeung Kong
Affiliation:
APSARA Authority, Apsara Road, Boeung Don Pa Village, Slakram Commune, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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Abstract

The rock art of Southeast Asia has been less thoroughly studied than that of Europe or Australia, and it has generally been considered to be more recent in origin. New dating evidence from Mainland and Island Southeast Asia, however, demonstrates that the earliest motifs (hand stencils and naturalistic animals) are of late Pleistocene age and as early as those of Europe. The similar form of the earliest painted motifs in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia suggests that they are the product of a shared underlying behaviour, but the difference in context (rockshelters) indicates that experiences in deep caves cannot have been their inspiration.

Keywords

rock arthand stencilspainted cavesrocksheltersanimal motifsuranium-series dating
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 88 , Issue 342 , December 2014 , pp. 1050 - 1064
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2014

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