Bradshaw, or Gwion rock art, are
sophisticated paintings dotted across approximately 100,000 sites spread
over an area of 50,000 square kilometres (about the size of Costa Rica in Central America, or Slovakia in Europe). They are thought to be at least 17,000, perhaps more than 25,000 years old.
What is the significance of the Bradshaw paintings?
Aside from being extremely old, the Bradshaw paintings are very significant to world history because instead of depicting animals, they
depict highly decorated humans and relatively advanced technology
. They show people with tassles, hair adornments, and possibly clothing.
What are Bradshaw paintings?
Bradshaw, or Gwion rock art, are
sophisticated paintings dotted across approximately 100,000 sites spread
over an area of 50,000 square kilometres (about the size of Costa Rica in Central America, or Slovakia in Europe). They are thought to be at least 17,000, perhaps more than 25,000 years old.
Where did the Bradshaw paintings come from?
The Kimberley is renowned for its rich galleries of rock art.
The Gwion period
, which used to be known as the Bradshaw paintings, is thought by archaeologists to be the second oldest of at least six distinct periods of creative styles depicting stories and songlines passed from generation to generation.
How old are the Wandjina paintings?
Some attempts to date the rock paintings of Wandjina in the Kimberley suggest that they may date back
4,000 years
. The Wandjina images are often painted alongside much older images of Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw figures), that date back at least 18,000 years.
What is a wandjina figure?
They date back between two to four thousand years. A Wandjina figure is
a shape-changing anthropomorphic being
. The main creation Spirit, associated with rain and seasonal regeneration. The body of a Wandjina often shown covered with dots that represent rainfall.
Why is it difficult to date the pigment used in aboriginal rock paintings?
“Rock art is notoriously difficult to date,” says David. “Most
pigment art contains no dateable carbon
, and therefore radiocarbon dating is usually not feasible.”
How old is the Kimberley rock art?
A 17,300-year-old painting on the ceiling of a rock shelter in Drysdale River National Park, painted by ancestors of the Balanggarra people, has been revealed as the oldest-known rock painting in Australia.
What are the characteristics of Oceanic art?
Using
distorted, elongated line and crowded design in arresting colors
, the Melanesian style is bold and unafraid. They use their art, particularly body art and ceremonial masks, in a religious ritual. Themes of decoration and sculpture include sex and cannibalism as mentioned before and also hunting and the deceased.
Who painted the Gwion Gwion rock art?
Gwion Gwion art. Work undertaken by
amateur archaeologist Grahame Walsh
, who began work there in 1977 and returned to record and locate new sites up until his death in 2007. The results of this work produced a database of 1.5 million rock art images and recordings of 1,500 new rock art sites.
What is Kimberley rock art?
Kimberley rock art was
made by indigenous Australians on their traditional land
. Many different groups created many different styles of rock art. The art has been made by the people of the Kimberley region for thousands of years. Some art is still being refreshed, and new art is being created.
Who is the aboriginal God?
In Australian Aboriginal mythology,
Baiame (or Biame, Baayami, Baayama or Byamee)
was the creator god and sky father in the Dreaming of several Aboriginal Australian peoples of south-eastern Australia, such as the Wonnarua, Kamilaroi, Eora, Darkinjung, and Wiradjuri peoples.
Who is allowed to paint the wandjina?
The Wandjina is the sacred spirit of the Worrorra, Ngarinyin and Wunumbal tribes.
No one else is permitted to
depict it – and the image was even trademarked back in 2015.
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 are Mimi spirits?
Mimis are
fairy-like beings of Arnhem Land in the folklore of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia
. … They are described as having extremely thin and elongated bodies, so thin as to be in danger in high winds. To avoid this, they usually spend most of their time living in rock crevices.
