This South African cave stone may bear the world’s oldest drawing

The 73,000-year-old line design could have had special meaning for its makers, researchers say

rock with ancient drawing

DRAWN OUT  The 73,000-year-old red marks on this stone from a South African cave are remnants of a crosshatched design that researchers regard as the earliest known drawing.

Craig Foster

A red, crosshatched design adorning a rock from a South African cave may take the prize as the oldest known drawing.