“Among the most frequent inhabitants of the boundaries of the artwork was a black fungus…”
Ancient rock art’s colours come from microbes
A particular type of ancient rock art in Western Australia maintains its vivid colours because it is alive, researchers have found.
While some rock art fades in hundreds of years, the “Bradshaw art” remains colourful after at least 40,000 years.
“Ancient rock art’s colours come from microbes,” December 27, 2010, BBC News