New Holocene Aboriginal Rock Rock Art Style identified in a recent study

A recent study by Dr. Ana Paula Motta and his colleagues, in collaboration with the Aboriginal Balangarra Corporation, has identified a new rock art style of the mid-tail in the northeast Australian region of Kimberley.

The results are published in the journal Australian archeology.

The newly identified linear naturalist figures (LNF) were previously described as belonging to the animal period of irregular filling of the Pleistocene (IAP).

This study was part of the “Kimberley Visions” project, which collected data on and documented on 1,100 archaeological sites. These included 151 rock art sites containing more than 4,200 rock art reasons, including rocky art belonging to the IAP.

“The study emerged because many animal patterns had not been adapted ” with anterior IAP figures. By considering more the shape of their body, their filling and their superposition in Kimberley’s rock art sequence, it was determined that they belonged to a new group of figures,” explains Dr. Motta.

In total, 98 patterns of 22 sites were identified in the Drysdale and King George River watersheds which did not correspond to the traditional IAP despite having been classified as IAP.

“The IAP style, although it has been defined as containing naturalistic animals with irregular brushstrokes, in reality, contains a great diversity of forms, in particular when the filling conceptions are considered. Therefore, it was first important to disentangle the main attributes of IIAP, then to describe the LNF motifs”, explains Dr. Motta.

“The main challenges are linked to the establishment of iconographic borders between styles,” continues Dr. Motta. “Consequently, it was important first to unravel the main attributes of the IAP and then describe the LNF reasons.”

The IAP style emerged around 17,200 to 13,000 years and was characterized by animal representations, in particular macropods (kangaroos, wallabies, etc.). These images are generally filled with united colors and other filling conceptions. The animals are painted in dynamic poses from different angles.

On the other hand, the art of LNF represents almost exclusively animals, in particular macropods, and is generally painted with a simple linear outline, with partial or non -static static profiles.

“LNF motifs present regional cohesion in the two study areas (Drysdale River and King George River) and are made up of two main image groups based on the shape of their body: geometric and naturalist. LNF geometric has angular extremities with a lack of anatomical elements, while naturalist patterns have a linear scheme and anatomical attributes Detailed “, Dr. Motta Elaborates.

In addition, LNF paintings are generally superimposed on the IAP, in Gwion (14,000 to 12,000 years) and to the polychrome static art (12,000 to 9,000 years) but are underlying Wanjina paintings (5,000 historic / contemporary). This indicates that these images were created after IAP, Gwion and static polychrome art but before or perhaps contemporary with Wanjina’s imagery.

This would make LNF images much younger than it was assumed previously and indicates a return to naturalistic-motive animal imagery after centuries of anthropomorphic artistic styles (Gwion and static polychrome).

Dr. Motta explains what could have caused this change, saying: “We proposed that the LNF belongs to the Middle Holocene in Later, a period characterized by the evolution of socio-environmental conditions.

“At that time, the sea level had stabilized, new lithic technologies were introduced, and there was a possible increase in linguistic diversity. We argue that groups have been again of significant naturalistic animals, in particular macropods, during an increased period of change, where rocky art acts as a mechanism to ensure the mediation of this change.”

Dr. Motta continues: “The LNF is exclusively composed of zoomorphic patterns and two unidentified plant patterns. The animal patterns identified in the LNF style are consistent with other styles in the region, where mammals – and macropods in particular – are the most represented types of figures.

“This high concentration of macropods tells us about their meaning for Aboriginal Australians, as food resources, for symbolic functions, and also for daily life.”

According to the stories of indigenous creation, humans and non-humans, including animals and plants, had a common origin and a subsequent life link. This intimate relationship is the way in which the totemic systems were born, in which different animals were linked to the laws, customs and spiritual practices of different indigenous groups.

The representation of these animal motives may have served as a way to mark the territories, express group identity, relations, spiritual connections and social regeneration ceremonies at a time when open and mobile societies previously became more complex and territorially limited.

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