Australian rock art discovery may rewrite history.

I have always been a strong supported of Indigenous Australians being an established culture in parts up to 50K-60 000BP.

A large research project has pointed to rock art in the Kimberly may be the oldest in the world, rewriting how and when cultural artistic expression developed globally. The indigenous people of the Kimberley live literally amongst a beautiful Ochre art gallery spread across a large landscape. Over ten thousands different paintings makes for a rich tapestry of indigenous expression.


Cave Painting in Europe goes back to 40 000 and the age of the Australian art has long been contested to be only half that age.

"We've had a traditional perspective that things all started in Europe and migrated from there. They didn't necessarily.

Now they have the technical know how for researchers to refute this younger art date apart.

Working with archaeologists from the University of Western Australia led by Sven Ouzman, the multidisciplinary team has analysed radioactive decay within tiny flakes of mineral crusts from above and below paintings, gradually narrowing age brackets around hundreds of samples in the vast area.

Professor Gleadow said that never has such a concerted effort and sheer technical firepower been focused on the problem of dating Australian rock art and results emerging over the past few weeks are "incredibly exciting".

Until now, accurately dating the ​art form was regarded as almost impossible, with a lack of organic matter in most paintings ruling out radiocarbon dating.

Source

How old is this art? Should we be looking to Australia for the start of human artistic cultural expression? I have always suspected so.

I am incredibly excited about this.

So giants with weird heads?
Very neat stuff.
I am from the boat that believes that giants existed on this fair planet of ours.
That image almost seems as if these giants walked up on them waving "hi" as they
were getting down.

Thank you for posting this.

For info, these painting are termed The Bradshaw Paintings.

For more info have a look at this site: www.bradshawfoundation.com...

CB

a reply to: unicornholiday

Where did you get it's about giants from my post?

a reply to: unicornholiday

These particular paintings depict one age of painting over another. I'm sure from what I have heard (I'm a local) that this was early Graffiti. The two styles here depict two different tribes with two different beliefs and culture. It just looks like giants in the background. The painter only knew how to draw the smaller black characters that size! Not big on perception in those days!

a reply to: CaptainBeno

I believe you are correct The age varies, and the team are actually taking flake samples from many sites, not just one.

originally posted by: unicornholiday
So giants with weird heads?
Very neat stuff.
I am from the boat that believes that giants existed on this fair planet of ours.
That image almost seems as if these giants walked up on them waving "hi" as they
were getting down.

Thank you for posting this.

a reply to: CaptainBeno

eh...I'll stick with giants.
All good either way...

a reply to: CraftBuilder

hahaha I dig that picture.
Thanks for alerting me of my grand mistake!!!
Ten lashes for me for me.. HAHAHAHA

a reply to: zazzafrazz

I just looked at the picture and they looked like giants.
No harm meant...I'm sure there will be plenty of people scolding me for it..
I'll stick to giants though...Makes it more interesting.

Thanks for posting..

a reply to: zazzafrazz


Nice find Zazz, I was checking out when people first showed up in Australia out of curiosity the other day and I came across this article. 78,000 years ago?

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
Cave Painting in Europe goes back to 40 000 and the age of the Australian art has long been contested to be only half that age.

The oldest cave painting in Europe that has been found. Those are generally in caves that collapsed, hermetically sealing the artworks. Damp cold climates, make for colder damper caves, neither of which are good for preserving works of art.

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
How old is this art? Should we be looking to Australia for the start of human artistic cultural expression?

I think it far more exciting, that artistic expression emerged at roughly the same time, thousands of miles apart.

a reply to: zazzafrazz

Yep, Correct!

Some locals say that the older ones date back to 45 / 50,000 years old!

It's worth a visit, because you can't get your head around them.....they look so fresh!

I got taken to one area (very lucky white person, not many get to go believe me) and it was like people had just left. Grinding stones, flint, arrow head type stones. Lines in the rock (looked like cricket stumps) they used to sharpen their arrow heads / spears. Overhang rock with hundreds of paintings. Just an amazing step back in time. It was humbling to say the least.

a reply to: CaptainBeno

The painter only knew how to draw the smaller black characters that size! Not big on perception in those days!

I don't think you're correct. Look at the feet - they're all together forming a rough circle.. That's just my thought.

I'll stick to giants though...Makes it more interesting.

a reply to: unicornholiday

I'd keep it. You're probably right.

originally posted by: CaptainBeno
a reply to: unicornholiday

These particular paintings depict one age of painting over another. I'm sure from what I have heard (I'm a local) that this was early Graffiti.

Not graffiti, but meaningful, yes.

The two styles here depict two different tribes with two different beliefs and culture.

Look carefully at the pages on the Foundation website. I see at least six different cultures represented, and probably a thousand years or more.

There are two (or possibly three) different tassel types (made by different cultures or the same culture at much different times.) The sash type is certainly one group, and one type of clothes peg style (which appears to be more recent though I can't tell for sure.) One of the actions is also a member of the sash group, but the other one isn't. The superposition pictures show a lot of overlay and a lot of different styles.

a reply to: Byrd

Yep. Sorry. Spot on.

It had "intent" as in, No, that's not correct.....this is.

Or

Like a dog marks it scent on a post, this was a way of showing who was now the boss around here.

Sorry, I didn't mean graffiti in the actual sense, but I know you know I didn't mean it that way

Thanks for the other explanations! Top stuff.

a reply to: zazzafrazz

What a fabulous find, couldn't help laughing at the 'expert' way the samples appeared to be taken precariously by one archaeologist perched on the shoulders of another - looked great fun.

I am really interested in this in that just a few of those paintings are not dissimilar to some of the art done by the San people in Africa. They also show just in a couple of photos in the article below the different size of some of the hunters. You also have similar poses, stick people and an interesting similarity with smaller people next to 'giants'? One thing that struck me was the similarity of the /top pony tail style worn by both African and Australian hunters. The oldest painting from the San is possibly 100,000 to 75,000. years old and shown on the Bradshaw Foundation site and known as the Apollo Stones.

www.bradshawfoundation.com...

www.google.co.uk...

Sorry Bradshow foundation link didn't pick up.

originally posted by: unicornholiday
a reply to: zazzafrazz

I just looked at the picture and they looked like giants.

Because as a fundamentalist religious type, you always see what you want to believe.

Just been doing some reading on Aboriginal Rock art.In places of high significance generations will touch up the rock art according to the tribes cultural necessity to pass down stories.Some art has been found to have over 40 layers of paint and have changed slightly in design from one recoating to the next.Many stories are shared between different tribes due to being nomadic and following the trails of animals due to the seasons (wet,dry) up north.