A new dating technique using Magnesium-26 isotope diffusion has provided the most precise timeline yet for the Ubirr rock art in Australia’s Northern Territory. The study, published in Science Advances, refines the age of the earliest ochre layers to approximately 62,000 years ago, pushing back the timeline for human symbolic expression in the Sahul region.
The methodology, which measures the cosmic-ray exposure of the quartz grains embedded within the pigment layers, allows for sub-decadal precision in dating ancient motifs. This research suggests that the earliest inhabitants of Australia possessed a sophisticated culture of artistic recording that was contemporaneous with the earliest known cave art in Europe and Indonesia, challenging traditional narratives of a Western origin for complex symbolic behavior.