The Archaeology of Rock Art in Western Arnhem Land, Australia

The Archaeology of Rock Art in Western Arnhem Land, Australia
Author: Bruno David
Publisher: ANU Press
Total Pages: 527
Release: 2017-11-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1760461628

Western Arnhem Land, in the Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory, has a rich archaeological landscape, ethnographic record and body of rock art that displays an astonishing array of imagery on shelter walls and ceilings. While the archaeology goes back to the earliest period of Aboriginal occupation of the continent, the rock art represents some of the richest, most diverse and visually most impressive regional assemblages anywhere in the world. To better understand this multi-dimensional cultural record, The Archaeology of Rock Art in Western Arnhem Land, Australia focuses on the nature and antiquity of the region’s rock art as revealed by archaeological surveys and excavations, and the application of novel analytical methods. This volume also presents new findings by which to rethink how Aboriginal peoples have socially engaged in and with places across western Arnhem Land, from the north to the south, from the plains to the spectacular rocky landscapes of the plateau. The dynamic nature of Arnhem Land rock art is explored and articulated in innovative ways that shed new light on the region’s deep time Aboriginal history.

Australian Rock Art

Australian Rock Art
Author: Robert Layton
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2010-01-14
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780521125789

The origins of rock art in Australia are probably as old as that of the hunter-gatherers of Western Europe, well-known for the prehistoric caves of Altamira and Lascaux. That the practice of painting and engraving on rocks continues in parts of northern and central Australia emphasises the importance of this art as a source of visual information for Australia's indigenous communities, Rock art can be 'read' to determine cultural processes and provides a durable record of thousands of years of cultural change. This book is an extensive survey of Australian rock art, presenting detailed case studies revealing the significance of both recent and ancient art for Australia's living indigenous communities. Archaeological data provides evidence of the ways in which rock art traditions have changed over 15,000 or more years in response to changes in the environment, the development of new forms of social organisation and the impact of European colonial settlement.

Handbook of Rock Art Research

Handbook of Rock Art Research
Author: David S. Whitley
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 876
Release: 2001
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9780742502567

While there has always been a large public interest in ancient pictures painted or carved on stone, the archaeological study of rock art is in its infancy. But intensive amounts of research has revolutionized this field in the past decade. New methods of dating and analysis help to pinpoint the makers of these beautiful images, new interpretive models help us understand this art in relation to culture. Identification, conservation and management of rock art sites have become major issues in historical preservation worldwide. And the number of archaeologically attested sites has mushroomed. In this handbook, the leading researchers in the rock art area provide cogent, state-of-the-art summaries of the technical, interpretive, and regional advances in rock art research. The book offers a comprehensive, basic reference of current information on key topics over six continents for archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians, and rock art enthusiasts.

Preservation of Rock Art

Preservation of Rock Art
Author: Jacques Brunet
Publisher:
Total Pages: 246
Release: 1995
Genre: Art
ISBN:

Number nine in the monograph series of Occasional Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA) Publications. Contains the proceedings of symposia G and H of the Second AURA Congress in 1992 with contributions by 56 authors on rock art management and preservation. Suited for those involved in the physical preservation or conservation of rock art, or in the ethics and techniques of site management and in the presentation of public rock art sites.

Friends of Australian Rock Art Inc

Friends of Australian Rock Art Inc
Author: Friends of Australian Rock Art
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2007*
Genre: Art, Aboriginal Australian
ISBN:

Friends of Australian Rock Art Inc. (FARA) aim to raise public awareness of the threat to industrial development on the Burrup Peninsula and its impact on on petroglyphs (ancient rock carvings).