Ice age art in Indonesia reveals how spiritual life transformed en route to Australia

Cave discoveries suggest Indigenous Australians' strong connection with animals may have its roots in the exotic species their ancestors encountered in Sulawesi

A cave dig in Indonesia has unearthed a unique collection of prehistoric ornaments and artworks that date back in some instances to at least 30,000 years ago. The site is thought to have been used by some of the world's earliest cave artists.

Published this week, our new findings challenge the long-held view that hunter-gatherer communities in the Pleistocene ("ice age") of south-east Asia were culturally impoverished.