What is the oldest Aboriginal rock art in Australia?
a kangaroo
Australian scientists have discovered the country’s oldest known rock art – a 17,300-year-old painting of a kangaroo. The artwork measuring 2m (6.5ft) was painted in red ochre on the ceiling of a rock shelter. It was found in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, known for its Aboriginal rock paintings.
Is dot painting Aboriginal?
Aboriginal dot paintings are everywhere. Walk into any Aboriginal art gallery and you’ll find them. The dot painting style is used for paintings, vases, on t-shirts, stones, fridge magnets—anything people would buy. No wonder that you believe that dots are the dominant and traditional Aboriginal art style.
Are the Bradshaw paintings Aboriginal?
What is Bradshaw (Gwion Gwion) rock art? Today the Ngarinyin people of the Kimberley are the custodians of this art form. The ancient Bradshaw rock paintings are very different to any other Aboriginal rock art found in Australia. They depict graceful human figures engaged in display or hunt.
How are Aboriginal rock paintings dated?
It is only by dating mud wasp nests or surface mineral accretions, found directly over or under the pigment, that scientists can determine minimum or maximum age constraints for the paintings themselves.
What does Wandjina look like?
Unique to the Mowanjum people, Wandjinas (sometimes pronounced ‘wannias’) have large eyes, like the eye of a storm, but no mouth. It is said they have no mouth because that would make them too powerful. They are often depicted with elaborate headdresses, indicating different types of storms.
What does the name Wollombi National Park mean?
There are areas, but there are very important ceremonial places in the Yengo National Park and also on private property overlooking Wollombi Brook. Wollombi itself means meeting of the waters. Meeting of the waters also means meeting of the people because people followed their water.
Where are the recording sites in the Wollombi Valley?
They’re all through the Wollombi Valley – in the Corrobare State Forest, the Watagan State Forest, private property. I’ve been recording sites in the Wollombi area for about 30 years now and probably recorded 5000 so far and there are plenty more to find.
Why is the Wollombi Valley important to New South Wales?
It’s also linked with the Kuringai Chase National Park and all the rock carvings in that Sydney area, where there are similar stories. The journey is to walk into the Wollombi and up into Yengo. Because Yengo Mountain is a very important spiritual place for most people in New South Wales.
Who is the Elder in the Wollombi Valley?
There’s Uncle Paul Gordon, who’s the senior Aboriginal elder in the Wollombi area, just reflecting on the discussion around the potential for mining in the region, based on that region, the Wollombi Valley being isolated as a possible site for future expansion of mining.