Makassar, Sept. 1 -- Archaeologists are studying figurative paintings estimated to be 67,800 years old on limestone cave walls across Sulawesi's karst region, researchers said in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Monday.

The paintings are found at cave sites including Leang Maros and Leang Pangkep in South Sulawesi and Liang Metanduno on Muna Island in Southeast Sulawesi.

Hasanuddin University archaeology researcher Prof. Akin Duli said the findings challenged the long-held view that the earliest cave paintings originated in Europe.

"This research challenges what we have learned from books that the oldest paintings originated in Europe. That theory has now been disproved," Akin said in Makassar.

The rock art includes pointed-finger motifs,...