| ABORIGINAL SITES - Northern Territory |
|
|
Kakadu National Park/Arnhem Land
The sandstone blocks of Kakadu and Arnhem Land house a supreme collection of rock art. Kakadu itself contains one of the greatest concentrations of rock art sites in the world: approximately 5000 art sites have been recorded; a further 10 000 sites are thought to exist. The rock art sites are concentrated along the escarpment, in gorges, and on rock outliers; many of these sites are large and contain many layers of paintings.
The paintings, estimated to range in age from 20 000 years to the recent present, constitute one of the longest historical records of any group of people in the world. The rock art sites of Kakadu are recognised internationally for their cultural value and are one of the reasons that Kakadu is inscribed on the United Nations list of World Heritage properties.
|
|
|
Katherine region
The Wardaman (also spelt Wardiman) are the Aboriginal people from west of Katherine in the Victoria River District of the Northern Territory. The images of the Wardaman rock art are generally recognised as 'Lightning figures', and tell the creation story. In the Dreamtime the Dreaming Ancestors created a large part of the rock art we see today and Wardaman call these painting buwarraja. These Dreaming Ancestors put all the laws, ceremonies and stories in place to be handed down from generation to generation. The Wardaman believe the Dreaming Ancestors have a strong connection to the natural laws of the earth, seasonal changes, floods, fires, drought and cyclones as well as the creation period.
|
|
|
Kintore Caves
The Kintore Caves are situated in Kintore Caves Nature Park, a small park of 423 hectares located twelve kilometres north-west of the township of Katherine within the Kintore Ranges (right). The cave complex is known to contain some Aboriginal rock paintings. The best known of these were near the entrance to the main (Kintore) cave. These paintings were unfortunately removed by floodwaters during record floods in the Katherine area in early 1998. There is currently only one other known painting site, at another cave. This large painting is of a snake or serpent, which was probably associated with creation mythology.
|
|
|
Jasper Gorge
Located near Alice Springs, Jasper Gorge is well known for its scenic characteristics, such as the red sandstone escarpment formations and permanent waterholes and associated riverine vegetation. The gorge contains a diverse range of Aboriginal cultural sites, such as paintings, engravings, stone arrangements, stone artefact scatter and Dreaming sites located along the length of the gorge. Such features contribute to our understanding of Aboriginal land use and the nature of Aboriginal - European contact in the region. The presence of stone arrangements interpreted as hawk hunting hides, demonstrates a function and design which is no longer generally practiced.
|
|
|
Ewaninga Reserve
Located south of Alice Springs along the old Ghan railway line near Ewaninga siding, these rock engravings are protected by a small, six hectare reserve. Outcrops of sandstone beside a small claypan, set among spinifex-covered sand dunes, form natural galleries for petroglyphs featuring a great variety of symbols or motifs. It is easy to imagine the small claypan as a natural bowl, trapping and holding scarce rains and making this a favourite site for longer stays. Originally rock shelters beside the claypan provided camping places protected from the elements, but the roofs of these have now collapsed in a mass of sandstone blocks.
|
|
|
N'Dhala Gorge
N'Dhala Gorge, situated about 89km east of Alice Springs in the East McDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory, is set in deeply dipping sandstone ranges which rise steeply above the surrounding area and has been incised by a minor tributary of the nearby Ross River. The gorge is a cultural treasure house, the range of archaeological materials occurring within the Park including stone artefacts, charcoal and faunal remains, a stone arrangement, hunting hide, painting sites and nearly 6,000 engravings.
|
|
|
Mt. Borradaile
Mount Borradaile (Awunbarna) lies in the north-west corner of Arnhemland, the largest Aboriginal reserve in Australia. The reserve lies a vast sub-tropical savannah that has been described as a national treasure trove depicting ancient human occupation, and a pristine wilderness area. Mount Borradaile and the surrounding sandstone hills are honeycombed with caves, once occupied by Arnhemland Aborigines. For much the estimated 55,000 years of human habitation in this area, the inhabitants recorded their presence in ochre on rock. Painting was one of their most important and durable mediums for describing life, law and history.
|
|
|
Keep River
The Keep River region, which lies to the west of Timber Creek at the border with Western Australia, has a complex body of engraved and painted rock-art, distinct from but with links to regions to the east, west and south. At least four major periods of figurative rock-art have been identified with differing subject matters and ages. Significant changes in depictions of human figures and animals are evident, reflecting shifts in emphasis associated with ecological concerns and environmental change. Currently, a total of 18,915 individual rock-art motifs have been recorded and analysed from 117 sites. These sites are clustered in three areas, the Weaber Range (46 sites) in the west, Granilpi (21 sites) in the north and Goorurarmum (50 sites) in the south
|
|
|
