An ancient art gallery
In the remote Lubang Jeriji Saléh cave, in the dense jungles of East Kalimantan, a reddish-orange painting covers a limestone wall. It depicts a large, wild bovine, likely a Bornean banteng (Bos javanicus), measuring about 1.5 meters in length. This rock art; it is the oldest known figurative painting in the world. A team of researchers led by Maxime Aubert and Pindi Setiawan used uranium-series analysis to date the calcite deposits that have formed over the artwork. The results provided a minimum age of 40,000 years, changing our understanding of where and when humans first began to create representative art.
The Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat peninsula is a karst formation, a geological formation of soluble limestone that has been shaped by water over millions of years. The result is a dramatic terrain of towering cliffs, sinkholes, and thousands of caves spread across 1.8 million hectares. The art within these caves reveals at least three distinct phases of human creativity. The oldest phase, from about 52,000 to 40,000 years ago, includes the banteng and numerous red-orange hand stencils. A later phase, beginning around 20,000 years ago, introduced mulberry-colored pigments and shows human-like figures, sometimes wearing headdresses, hunting or dancing. This artistic evolution suggests a long and continuous history of human occupation and cultural change in the region.
A threatened ecosystem
The Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat karst is an archaeological site and is a center of biodiversity. The unique geology supports a complex ecosystem that is home to the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus morio) as well as hundreds of species of birds, insects, and fish. Surveys have identified 120 bird species, 147 species of snails, and many plants and arthropods that are new to science. The vast network of underground rivers within the karst is an important water source for the five major river systems in the East Kutai and Berau districts, supporting the local human population.
This entire landscape is under serious threat. Limestone mining for cement production, coal extraction, logging, and the expansion of oil palm plantations are causing widespread habitat destruction. In recognition of its unique natural and cultural value, the area was nominated for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2015. More recently, in 2024, the government designated 26 geological heritage sites within the karst, advancing its candidacy to become a national geopark and eventually a UNESCO Global Geopark to help ensure its preservation.