Stepping Across 1,000 Stairs into Prehistory

Taman Nasional Bantimurung Bulusaraung stretches across a dramatic karst landscape in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Known for its towering limestone hills, prehistoric caves adorned with stalactites and stalagmites, and dazzling biodiversity, the park is a realm where geology, archaeology, and living nature intertwine. Within this protected area, in Kampung Sumpang Bita, Balocci District, lies one of its most captivating sites: Gua Sumpang Bita.

The wider region was once described by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace as “The Kingdom of Butterflies.” The nickname still feels fitting. Even before reaching the cave, visitors are greeted by manicured gardens, bright green trees, carefully arranged stone parks, blooming flowers, and butterflies fluttering freely in the warm tropical air. The landscape feels both curated and wild—a gentle prelude to the ancient world waiting above.

From the garden entrance, the journey continues for about one kilometer before the true ascent begins. Because the cave rests on limestone hills at an elevation of approximately 280 meters above sea level, reaching it requires climbing 1,000 steps. The staircase cuts upward through the karst terrain, weaving between moss-covered cliffs and thick vegetation.

Climbing hundreds of meters through rocky crevices demands stamina. Yet the effort feels less burdensome when accompanied by sweeping views of rolling green fields, limestone walls rising dramatically into the sky, orderly lines of trees, and cool mountain air that grows fresher with every step. The higher one climbs, the more the sounds of daily life fade, replaced by rustling leaves and distant echoes from the forest.

As the ascent continues, the atmosphere subtly shifts. The towering trees on either side of the stairs create a natural corridor that feels ancient and slightly mysterious. There is a strange duality in the air—refreshing, yet faintly intimidating. With each step, clusters of millipedes scatter along the stone surfaces. Perhaps because of their abundance, the cave is sometimes nicknamed the “thousand-millipede cave.” Their presence reinforces the sensation of entering a space where humans are merely visitors in a much older ecosystem.

It is advisable not to explore this expansive prehistoric park alone. Beyond its physical vastness, its status as an archaeological site commands respect. Still, the uniqueness of the environment invites photography and quiet reflection. Every corner offers a frame worthy of remembrance—moments of pristine nature blended with subtle strangeness.

Rest stops appear thoughtfully along the staircase. Small gazebos are placed roughly every 300 steps, providing welcome shelter. Around the 600th step, a remarkably clear and refreshing pool emerges. According to local guides, two rivers—Sungai Mangemba and Sungai Padanglampe—flow through the surrounding karst mountains, nourishing the cave system below. The presence of water has shaped both the geological formations and the prehistoric life once sustained here.

Not far from this point, a sign points toward Gua Bulu Sumi. After further climbing, the cave appears at roughly 200 meters above sea level. Unfortunately, its steep and vertical entrance makes exploration challenging without proper equipment and lighting. Archaeological data records the cave as approximately four meters wide and 8.77 meters deep. Classified as a horizontal joint-type cave, its front floor is relatively flat with fine soil composition.

Within Gua Bulu Sumi, researchers have documented eight red hand stencils, stone tools, pottery fragments, stone artifacts, and mollusk shells scattered across the cave floor. Shell remnants embedded in soil and clinging to stalagmites suggest that this cave once functioned as a kitchen for prehistoric inhabitants. Local communities refer to these early forest dwellers as Toala—“To” meaning people and “ala” meaning forest. Thus, Toala signifies “people of the forest.” Oral tradition connects Bulu Sumi to Gua Sumpang above it, which is believed to have served ritual purposes for the Toala community.

Continuing the ascent to the 1,000th step, the path reaches its peak at 280 meters. A massive rock formation stands ahead—the mouth of Gua Sumpang Bita.

Inside, the cave chamber extends about 24 meters deep with a ceiling rising nearly 12 meters high before gently sloping backward. The interior reveals the natural processes that formed stalactites and stalagmites through centuries of mineral-rich water seepage and travertine deposition. Yet the true marvel lies on the walls: an extraordinary collection of rock art.

On the northern wall, a striking painting of a leaping babirusa—an endemic wild pig species of Sulawesi—captures movement frozen in time. Surrounding it are numerous red hand stencils and footprints. At least 25 hand images are visible, alongside drawings of boats and abstract red markings whose meanings have faded with time. Archaeological excavations have also uncovered human bones and teeth, shell fragments, plain pottery shards, and geometric ornaments.

Such findings affirm that this cave was once a vibrant human habitat. Prehistoric caves like Sumpang Bita serve as crucial archaeological records worldwide, preserving traces of early human life long after other evidence has disappeared.

Globally, early cave habitation is often associated with Neanderthals in Europe around 100,000 years ago. Later, approximately 4,000 years ago, Cro-Magnon populations in France and Spain developed sophisticated cave art traditions, earning recognition as some of the first known artists. Their ability to express abstract thought through imagery marked a pivotal stage in human cultural evolution.

In Indonesia, cave art has been discovered across Papua, Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi. Early documentation of such art began in 1882, with subsequent research expanding through the 20th century. In Sulawesi, systematic studies were initiated in the early 1900s and continued by numerous scholars in later decades.

Recent international research has elevated the global significance of the Maros-Pangkep region. Archaeologist Adam Brumm from the University of Wollongong has argued that the red hand stencils in the Maros-Pangkep caves demonstrate that early modern humans in Sulawesi possessed artistic traditions comparable to those in Europe. The images often show complete or partially missing fingers, suggesting symbolic intent rather than mere decoration.

Meanwhile, Maxime Aubert of Griffith University determined that at least one cave painting in this region dates back a minimum of 39,900 years. This makes it older than many European cave paintings previously thought to represent the earliest examples of figurative art.

These discoveries reveal that the ancestors of Indonesians were creating symbolic imagery some 40,000 years ago. Rock art—often referred to as cave art—represents one of humanity’s earliest forms of abstract thought. Through pigment sprayed over hands or painted directly onto stone, prehistoric people expressed identity, belief, memory, or ritual. It is highly probable that such artistic traditions emerged and spread as early modern humans migrated from Africa into Europe and Southeast Asia.

Across 12 caves in the Pangkep region, researchers have documented approximately 326 hand images. Of these, Gua Sumpang Bita contains the largest number—81 hand stencils—making it one of the richest sites in the area. These images include both negative handprints, created by spraying pigment around an outstretched hand, and positive handprints, formed by applying pigment directly to the palm and pressing it onto the wall.

Standing inside the dim chamber of Gua Sumpang Bita, gazing at those ancient handprints, it is impossible not to feel a quiet connection across millennia. The 1,000 steps climbed earlier seem symbolic—each one bridging the present to a distant human past.

Gua Sumpang Bita and Gua Bulu Sumi are not merely geological formations. They are living archives of cultural memory. They remind us that the impulse to create, to mark existence, and to seek meaning is deeply embedded in the human story. These caves are invaluable not only to the people of South Sulawesi but to humanity as a whole—silent witnesses to the dawn of artistic expression and the enduring continuity