Fight! Fight! Archaeologist defends Woodside's art scholarship

The archaeologist co-ordinating a project to profile rock art on the Burrup Peninsula in north-west Western Australia has defended a scholarship offered by oil giant Woodside.

The peninsula is home to Australia's largest collection of rock art, which dates back at least 7,000 years and possibly 20,000 years.

Woodside, which is planning to build a $5 billion gas plant in the region, has announced that it will fund a three-year study into the art.

Critics say the funding is a public relations stunt to bolster the chances of Woodside's development being approved.