History Disappearing: The Rapid Loss of Australian Contact Period Rock Art
File version
Author(s)
May, Sally K
Wesley, Daryl
Jalandoni, Andrea
Tsang, Roxanne
Mangiru, Kenneth
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract
In Australia, recent climate change has resulted in prolonged droughts, massive devastating bushfires, extreme flooding, and more frequent and intense cyclones, all of which affect archaeological and historic heritage. In this paper, we report on new research on rock art at a site called Djarrng in western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Djarrng was heavily impacted by Tropical Cyclone Monica in 2006. We have visited the site sporadically since 1992, most recently in September 2019. We also have photographs taken in 1979 and accessed others taken in 1965 and so are in a position to document change to rock art panels over a 54 year period. We discuss not only change at the site as a result of the cyclone but also more general changes to rock art imagery at Arnhem Land sites in the past two hundred years, as well as lessons learnt from natural disasters that could be important for future rock art conservation.
Journal Title
Journal of Field Archaeology
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
46
Issue
2
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander archaeology
Archaeology
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Taçon, PSC; May, SK; Wesley, D; Jalandoni, A; Tsang, R; Mangiru, K, History Disappearing: The Rapid Loss of Australian Contact Period Rock Art, Journal of Field Archaeology, 2021, 46 (2), pp. 119-131