Researchers in Australia have discovered a kangaroo painting created over 17,000 years ago by Aboriginal artists has been identified with a little help from some ancient wasps as Australia's oldest intact rock art.
The two-metre-long (six-feet) artwork on the sloped ceiling of a rock shelter in Western Australia's Kimberley region was painted in an early naturalistic style, which often features life-sized renderings of animals, according to research published Monday.
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Dubbed the world s oldest-known cave art, the painting represented a 45,000-year-old life-size warty pig.
Dr Sven Ouzman, from University Western Australia s School of Social Sciences, believes the latest discovery will help researchers better understand Australia s Indigenous history.
He said: This iconic kangaroo image is visually similar to rock paintings from islands in South East Asia dated to more than 40,000 years ago, suggesting a cultural link - and hinting at still older rock art in Australia.
Cissy Gore-Birch, Chair of the Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation, added: It s important that Indigenous knowledge and stories are not lost and continue to be shared for generations to come.