Dec 13, 2019

Study: 44,000-year-old cave paintings discovered in Indonesia

Rashaan Ayesh

Photo credit: Endra, Griffth University, Australia

Researchers have found a 44,000-year-old cave painting in Indonesia depicting images of a hunting party, NPR reports.

Why it matters: The discovery of the images helps researchers further understand the origin of art, NPR notes. Previously, many believed humans began painting in caves in Europe, but this further details that theory, per NPR.

What the paintings depict: The images were found at a cave called Lean Bulu'Sipong 4 in Sulawesi, Indonesia, per BBC.

  • The images appear to show a type of buffalo and wild pigs surrounded by humans with animal features, such as tails and snouts, according to BBC.
  • Australia's Griffith University lead the team of archeologists who made the find.

Go deeper: New, "pristine" fossils reveal secrets of Cambrian explosion

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer

In photos: Cities around the world ring in the new year

Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks show went ahead despite tens of thousands signing a petition imploring authorities to call it off because of Australia's deadly wildfires. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

From New Zealand to New York City, crowds have gathered to ring in the new year and the start of a new decade.

The big picture: The Pacific island nations of Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati were the first in the world to mark the arrival of 2020, when it was still 5 a.m. on New Year's Eve on the U.S. East Coast. Here's how events have been unfolding around the U.S. and the world, in photos.

See imagesArrowUpdated Jan 1, 2020
Rebecca Falconer

In photos: The moments that defined a decade

Obama, Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and national security team members in the Situation Room of the White House on May 1, 2011, during the operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Photo: Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images

The 2010s were marked by terrorism, major natural disasters, huge political upheaval and, in the U.S. in particular, political polarization.

Zoom in: The decade began with Democratic President Obama, political gridlock in the Republican-controlled Congress and surging partisanship. It's closing with Republican President Trump impeached by the Democratic-controlled House. A bright spot has been the the U.S. economy, which has steadily improved since the financial crisis of the previous decade.

See photosArrowUpdated Dec 29, 2019
Rebecca Falconer

In photos: Deadly wildfires rage across Australia

Smoke from bushfires blankets Australia's capital, Canberra, in a haze with hazardous air quality. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen/The SMHFairfax Media via Getty Images

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted his thanks to President Trump for his "strong messages of sympathy, support and friendship for Australia during our terrible bushfire season," after the president phoned him to offer help.

What's happening: Morrison also thanked the American people "for their many messages of support." "Australia and the US are great mates," he added Tuesday afternoon local time. As cooler, wetter conditions offered a respite to firefighters in southeast Australia, Victoria's Premier Dan Andrews posted a Facebook tribute welcoming American firefighters to the region.

Go deeperArrowUpdated Jan 7, 2020