Search

This article takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding Aboriginal rock art artists, drawing together insights from the disciplines of archaeology and biography, as well as from Indigenous knowledge-holders, in order to explore the life and work of a relatively unknown rock painter from western Arnhem Land in Australia: Narlim (born c. 1909). His rock art at Warlkarr (Hawk Dreaming) in Kakadu National Park stands as subtle but powerful testament to his life, his family and unbroken connections to Country. Narlim's art reveals the ways he creatively engaged with new knowledges and skills introduced by the newcomers to his Country, even as he asserted the enduring traditions and ongoing sovereignty of his people. By reading rock art as a historical source alongside other biographical material, in partnership with Traditional Owners of today, we offer a fresh and holistic approach to better understanding rock art.

In this paper, we discuss observations from fieldwork in northern Kenya whichrevealed solid evidence for a vital ongoing rock art tradition among warriors ofSamburu—lmurran. They make rock art during their lives as warriors, typicallybetween the ages of 15 and 30, when they live away from their villages, herdingcattle and thus representing a specific ‘community of practice’. Our findings revealthat Samburu rock art is made predominantly as a leisure occupation, whilecamping in shelters, as part of activities also involving the preparation of food.Typical images include domestic animals, humans (both men and women) andoccasionally wild animals such as elephants and rhinos. Each age-set and newgeneration of lmurran is inspired by previous artwork, but they also change thetradition slightly by adding new elements, such as the recent tradition of writingletters and names close to the images. We conclude that even though rock art assuch is not part of any ritual or ceremonial setting, it plays an important role as aninter-generational visual culture that transfers a common ongoing culturalengendered warrior identity through time.

Research into contemporary Indigenous relationships with the archaeological record has increasingly drawn upon frameworks emphasising relational, affectual and cultural understandings to learn about the complex ways that meaning and symbolism are negotiated and expressed. In this paper, we use a series of case studies from Arnhem Land to investigate the network of relationships Aboriginal Traditional Owners use in the process of interpreting the archaeological record. At the core of this process is Edward Casey's idea of "grasping-together", where people draw on their social and cultural knowledge as a means to make sense out of what is being encountered and how it fits into existing frameworks of knowledge and understanding. By approaching rock art through the lens of encounter and interaction, archaeologists are in a privileged position to add another layer to the, symbolism and significance people attach to their cultural heritage today.

In this paper, we explore the social context of rock art creation through the lens of one woman's childhood experiences in, what is now, Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia. We reflect upon oral history interviews conducted over the last three years with Warrdjak Senior Traditional Owner Josie Gumbuwa Maralngurra and her childhood spent walking country with family. As a witness to vast numbers of rock paintings being created, and sometimes an active participant in that process, Josie's memories provide rare insights into the social and cultural context of rock art practices during the late 1950s and early 1960s. We argue that Josie's personal experiences provide solid evidence for both the educational role that rock art continued to play across the region during the 20(th)century and its role as a tool for helping to ensure intergenerational connection to country.