The Grand Tour of Leang Uhallie

A grand galery of anoa and pig in Bontocani Karst

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The adventure to Leang Uhallie

The journey takes about a three-hour walk from Bontocani village, across a river and hills in the rainforest, and then passes the house used to process palm sugar. Lucky visitors may get a chance to try the sap water.

Floor Plan Leang Uhallie (2024-02-07) by Dewangga Eka Mahardian and Adhi Agus OktavianaArchaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization

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The hand stencils and an animal figure on the ceiling

The hand stencils have a range of colors, from red, to orange, to purple. However, the animal figure on the walls are not able to be identified because the head part has faded.

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The hand stencils pattern and wild pigs on the left side

This panel shows the distinction between hand stencils of usual fingers, those with narrowed fingers, and hand stencils with decorated patterns. Also included are wild pig images with a distinct expression of wrath on the pig's lower face.

The dot inside of hand stencils at Uhallie Cave, Adhi Agus Oktaviana, 2014, From the collection of: Archaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization
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Hand stencils with bending lines in Uhallie Cave, Bone, Adhi Agus Oktaviana, 2014, From the collection of: Archaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization
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The hand stencils were drawn aesthetically, with a dot motif in the middle of the palm (left image), possibly an accidental, and the hand stencil (right image) seems to spray something between the thumb and index finger.

A couple of anoas in Uhallie Cave, Bone (2022) by Dominic and Adhi Agus OktavianaArchaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization

A couple of anoas surrounded by the hand stencils pattern

Hand stencils surrounded the two walking anoas. They were likely a mother and its cub, as can be seen from the genitalia. The anoa is depicted on top of the line (as a surface), as the second anoa likely got trapped on the front foot. This depiction suggests drawing of a hunting scene.

A couples of Anoa at Uhallie Cave, Bone (2014) by Adhi Agus OktavianaArchaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization

The enhanced image of two anoas

Rock art researchers frequently used the DStretch plugin on ImageJ software to enhance the rock art images.

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Another anoa facing to the right

This famous panel was published on the Nature cover of volume 514, number 7521, which is the first article about dated Pleistocene rock art in Sulawesi. The rock art panel consists of anoa and hand stencils on its surroundings.

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A running wild pig surrounded by hand stencils

This panel shows hand stencils with normal and narrowed fingers surrounding a wild pig, probably demonstrating the pig-hunting strategy.

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The hand stencils on the second chamber

The hand stencils depicted on the ceiling formed a group pattern of hands.

A stencil of tools at Sumpang Bita Cave (2020) by Adhi Agus OktavianaArchaeological, Language and Literature Research Organization

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Continue your exploration and see more animal images at 

Leang Sumpang Bita
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