Kangaroo Rock Art Painting Found In Australia That Might Be Over 17,000 Years Old

What comes to your mind when you think of Australia? More than likely, you think about some type of wildlife, typically a koala or a Kangaroo.

It seems as if they have been a part of the Australian culture for more years than most of us realize, thanks to an old rock painting that was found in the Kimberly area.

Although the dating of these rock paintings has always been difficult, some experts feel as if they may be 17,300 years old. Puratatva.Histories shared a photo of the drawing with the rock home’s owner, Ian Waina insepcting it.

They said, “while there is no categorical proof of ‘early arrival’ of humans to Australia, experts see a similarity with rock art found in next-door Southeast Asia that is much older.”

After the discovery of the painting on the ceiling of a rock shelter, the findings were published in the Journal Nature Human Behavior. A number of organizations were involved in the research, including some universities and the Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation.

They studied the 2 m long Kangaroo drawing, along with some other drawings that were found in the same shelter. It is not unusual for life-size drawings to take place during that period of rock art in the local area. They are thought to be of the late Ice Age because they are drawn in red ochre.

According to the University of Melbourne, the Chair of the Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation partnership and knowledge sharing, Cissy Gore-Birch, spoke about how important sharing this information was to indigenous peoples. Many of the stories are not lost, but they continue to be shared, and they can be similar to this old rock painting. It is a part of their history that dates back thousands of years.