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Top image: A new paper introduces 570 examples of Maliwawa rock art in rock shelters in Western Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory. This image shows a rock art depiction of a Maliwawa macropod found in the Namunidjbuk clan estate of the Wellington Range. Source: (P. Taçon /

Paintings of people and animals in rock shelters.

Arnhem Land, Australia. between about 6,000 and 9,400 years ago. Before writing. Known. Free

Known. Hundreds of paintings of people and animals were recorded in rock shelters in western Arnhem Land.

The pictures are called Maliwawa Figures. There are 570 of them, in 87 shelters in the Northern Territory. They are red, with fine strokes for shade. Human figures wear headdresses and are about 20 to 50 centimetres tall. The style is dated to between about 6,000 and 9,400 years ago. Animals include large macropods, and some that may be bilbies.

The page says those bilby-like animals might instead be wallabies, and that question is open.

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/maliwawa-rock-art-0014345