A few days ago, the Sydney Morning Herald published a news story about Aboriginal rock art. It was sensational.

Fifteen hundred rock drawings had been discovered in the Djulirri rock shelter in the Wellington Range of Arnhem Land and were being studied by Australian academics. The drawings chronicle the history of Aboriginal contact with outsiders, from Macassian prows and European sailing ships to nineteenth century steamships, including a World War II battleship.

The finds have stunned archaelogists and anthropolgists, according to the Herald. They also showed a biplane, a bicycle, car and rifle, even portraits of church ministers, sea captains and traders.

"This rock art dismantles the popular identity of Australia being a nation first visited by the British," according to Dr Alistair Paterson of the University of W.A., one of the experts on the site.

I'm wondering if it doesn't work both ways. Aboriginal settlement of the continent is said to stretch back over 40,000 years. If we use the Bible's chronology of human life, 40,000 is a greater age than we have years. I'm especially suspicious since the recent art is side by side with the ancient art, said to be 15,000 years old. Perhaps the discovery says more about the assumptions than the people.

See the story and pictures at http://www.smh.com.au Search for "rock art".