An Australian rock painting has been dated at approximately 17,300 years old—the oldest known artwork still on the wall of a rock shelter in the country—in a finding that unlocks a greater understanding of humanity’s ancient past. Researchers from the University of Melbourne (UM) and the University of Western Australia (UWA) found the kangaroo painted by ancestors of the Balanggarra people from the northeast Kimberley region of Western Australia. The results were published on Feb. 22 in Nature Human Behaviour and form part of Australia’s largest rock art dating project. To calculate its age, the archaeologists worked with traditional owners using radiocarbon dating based on the age of wasp nests over the paint. UWA archaeologist Sven Ouzman said the painting would be invaluable to understanding the history of Aboriginal culture. “This iconic kangaroo image is visually similar to rock paintings from islands in South East Asia dated to more than 40,000 years …