New research from Australia has pushed back the date of human settlement in the arid part of the continent to 49,000 years ago— and not only that, the archaeological site in question was reportedly discovered because of a bathroom break. “The very fact that [the material] dates back to 49 [thousand years ago] was just [an] incredible shock,” the study’s lead author, Giles Hamm, told the ABC. The study reports a wealth of discoveries, such as artifacts that are over 46,000 years old and even bone from an extinct animal, a giant marsupial called Diprotodon optatum. "Nature called and Cliff walked up this creek bed into this gorge and found this amazing spring surrounded by rock art," Hamm said, according to the ABC. "A man getting out of the car to go to the toilet led to the discovery of one of the most important sites in Australian pre-history."

Source: Fox News November 03, 2016 16:42 UTC