Journey in Time The 50,000 year story of the Australian Aboriginal rock art of Arnhem Land

by Chaloupka, George

• ISBN13: 9781760793630
• ISBN10: 1760793639
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2023-11-06
• Publisher: New Holland Publishers

Summary

This is the 50,000-year story of the Australian Aboriginal rock art of Arnhem Land. Aboriginal rock art, as practised in Arnhem Land, is the world's longest continuing art tradition. It is a tradition that is not merely decorative, but provides a "journey in time" - a pictorial record of the longest surviving culture on earth. Occurring at thousands of different sites, and of many different styles, the rock paintings of this region date from at least 30,000 years ago, and some may have been in place as early as 50,000 years ago. The oldest galleries pre-date the Hall of Bulls and Lascaux in France. This book explores the depth and complexity of this art tradition and gives insight into the aesthetic and cultural worlds of the people who created it. Journey in Time has been written and illustrated with the permission of the Gagudju people, the traditional owners of the land.

Author Biography

George Chaloupka OAM, FAHA (1932– 2011) was internationally acknowledged as a leading authority in the field of rock art. Born in Czechoslovakia in 1932, Dr Chaloupka migrated to Australia in 1950, settling in Darwin in 1956. While working as a government hydrologist, he had the opportunity to see all parts of the Top End, including the magnificent galleries of rock paintings in Arnhem Land. An accomplished artist in his own right, he immediately perceived the importance of the vast cultural record preserved in this rock art.

Table of Contents

Author’ s Note 7 Preface 9 Introduction 15 A world perspective – Rock art in Australia – The Arnhem Land galleries Gubolk 29 The Land – Flora and fauna habitats – Climate Garrewakwani 43 The Ancestral Past – Warramurrunggundji – Almudj, the Rainbow Snake – Nagorrgho – Morkul-kau-luan, the Spear-grass Man – Namarrgon, the Lightning Man – Namorrorddo – Namarnde – Algaihgo – Mimi Bininj 71 The People – Language groups – Clans – Social units Gunbim 79 The Rock Art Antiquity of the rock art – The painted shelters – Delek, gundulk, bimno, pigments, brushes and techniques – Aboriginal view of the rock art – Non-Aboriginal sequence of the rock art – Chronology of the Arnhem Land Plateau rock art Pre-estuarine Period 93 50,000? to 8000 years ago Object imprints 95 Large naturalistic figures complex 97 Dynamic figures 107 Post-dynamic figures 124 Simple figures with boomerangs 126 Mountford figures 131 Yam figures 137 Estuarine Period 151 8000 to 1500 years ago Early estuarine paintings 151 Gunbirdi Bim, Beeswax designs 154 X-ray art complex 161 Humans in X-ray 167 Freshwater Period 185 1500 years ago to the Present Contact Period 191 Bim bawabon, Sorcery paintings 207 Gunbid bim, Decorated hands 214 ‘ Rubbish’ paintings/Casual art 215 Some Art Techniques, Motifs and Themes 217 Other Art Forms 234 Rock engravings – Earth art – Stone arrangements Artists of the Recent Times 238 Nawu Barribimbom, ‘ Those that paint’ Epilogue 243 Appendix I – Neighbouring Rock Art 244 Appendix II – International Rock Art 244 Acknowledgements 247 Select Bibliography 248 Index 252