World’s oldest artwork uncovered

An Indonesian cave painting that depicts a prehistoric hunting scene could be the world’s oldest figurative artwork dating back nearly 44,000 years, a discovery that points to an advanced artistic culture, according to new research.

Spotted two years ago on the island of Sulawesi, the 4.5 metre (13 foot) wide painting features wild animals being chased by half-human hunters wielding what appear to be spears and ropes, said the study published in the journal Nature.

Using dating technology, the team at Australia’s Griffith University said it had confirmed that the limestone cave painting dated back at least 43,900 years during the Upper Palaeolithic period.

A company searches ‘Coffee Queen’!

A coffee company is offering $5,000 and a free trip for an unusual one-week dream job: serving as the ‘Coffee Queen.’

Gevalia Kaffe said the Coffee Queen will spend one week living in Scotland’s Carlowrie Castle with a full complement of servants, including a chef and a butler.

The company said the winning applicant will receive free travel to and from Scotland and will be paid $5,000, plus $2,000 in spending money for the week.

Interested prospective monarchs are being asked to submit 250-character mini essays on why they would be ideal for the position.

Pranksters cover home and car in cheese slices

A man and two teenage boys who allegedly covered two cars and a home with cheese slices are facing disorderly conduct charges.

Pennsylvania State Police say the prank occurred in Girard. But it’s not clear what motivated it.

The names of the three suspects — a Girard boy and two Lake City residents — have not been released. Authorities say they admitted their involvement in the prank. It’s not clear if anyone was in the home at the time of the incident.

141-year-old fruitcake heirloom

Some families pass down property, some jewellery and some even watches. But a Michigan family has its own heirloom: a 141-year-old fruitcake.

“It’s a great thing,” said Julie Ruttinger, the great-great-granddaughter of Fidelia Ford, who baked the cake in 1878. “It was tradition. It’s a legacy.”

The cake was initially preserved to honour Ford. She established a tradition of baking the cake and letting it age for a year before serving it during holiday seasons. Ford died at age 65 before her 1878 cake could be eaten, and by the time the holidays arrived, the family considered her handiwork a legacy, not food.

Until his death in 2013, the cake was in the care of Ruttinger’s father, Morgan Ford, who was Fidelia Ford’s great-grandson. He had stored it in an antique glass dish on the top shelf of a china cabinet in his Tecumseh home — which is where it remains today.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 4th, 2020