Archaeologists have discovered what may be a ‘sun amulet’ belonging to ancient seafarers
On the remote Indonesian island of Vetara, archaeologists have discovered a stone slab dating back some 4,000 years, bearing a red design of concentric circles and radiating lines. Researchers consider it to be the oldest known portable example of the so-called Austronesian pictorial tradition. Ancient seafarers may have taken such an object with them whilst travelling between islands — perhaps as a sign of affiliation, belief or protection.
The discovery was made during excavations at the Huknaur rock shelter on Vetara Island in eastern Indonesia.
A small stone slab bears a design of concentric circles painted in red, surrounded by radiating lines. The pattern resembles the sun.
Archaeologists are familiar with similar motifs from rock art in eastern Indonesia and the western Pacific. These are attributed to the Austronesian Painting Tradition.
However, until now, such drawings had mainly been found on the walls of caves and rock shelters.
The new plaque proved to be unusual precisely because it could be carried around.
Details
According to the researchers, portable images may have held special significance for ancient island communities.
People crossing the sea between islands carried not only tools, food and other essentials. Symbols associated with a shared identity, group affiliation or religious beliefs may also have travelled with them.
Similar ‘solar’ motifs were later applied to boats and other objects. They may have served a protective or communal function.
This is precisely why the plate found can be tentatively termed a ‘solar amulet’. However, researchers do not claim that the object was actually an amulet: its exact purpose remains unknown.
The plate was discovered in a well-dated archaeological layer dating back approximately 4,090–3,900 years.
This coincides with the period when groups associated with the early Austronesian expansion were rapidly spreading across the islands of South-East Asia and further into the Pacific Ocean.
The authors believe that the distinctive radiating motif already existed during the very earliest stages of this large-scale maritime settlement.
However, the paint itself was not directly dated using radiocarbon dating. The age of the artefact is determined by the context of the stratum in which it was found.
Another unexpected detail is that the plate was found in a pre-ceramic layer.
Pottery is traditionally regarded as one of the key archaeological indicators of the Neolithic Austronesian expansion. Yet on Vetara, the characteristic symbolism appeared before the corresponding pottery-making techniques.
According to the researchers, this suggests that the first maritime settlers spread more than just material technologies between the islands.
They may have brought with them ideas, symbols and worldviews even before other characteristic elements of the new culture appeared on the islands.
Why this is important
Austronesian seafarers undertook one of the most extensive maritime expansions of antiquity, travelling thousands of kilometres between islands.
Archaeologists have long been studying their movements through pottery, tools and genetic data. Portable symbolic objects offer a different perspective on this process.
The find from Vetara suggests that shared visual traditions may have spread alongside the people themselves.
This small painted plaque therefore offers a rare opportunity to gain an insight into what ancient seafarers considered important and what symbols may have accompanied them on their voyages some 4,000 years ago.
Source
Study: Ceri Shipton et al. 4,000-year-old painted plaque from Southeast Indonesia reveals Austronesian painting tradition preceded Neolithic pottery.
Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 2026.