Re: Australia's oldest painting was of a flightless dinosaur

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

On Mon, May 31st, 2010 at 3:11 PM, Colin McHenry <cmchenry@westserv.net.au> 
wrote:

> I've got a few questions about the dates being thrown around, but
> it's a 
> pretty awesome story regardless;
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/31/2913350.htm

The latest well-established dates for Genyornis that I'm aware of are between 
43,000 and 46,000 
YA, based on egg shells dated via several techniques. 

As far as I know, the oldest dated rock art in Australia is about 40,000 years 
- which is suspiciously 
right at the limits of radiocarbon dating. Those dates are also based on 
charcoal found in the oldest 
occupied layers in the rockshelters in question, so don't necessarily date the 
paintings directly. 

There are however ochre-bearing occupied layers elsewhere that have been dated 
to around 60 
thousand years (presumably via TL dates), however ochre has other ceremonial 
purposes other 
than rock art (such as adorning the body).

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
GIS Specialist                         Australian Dinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia               http://home.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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