I’ve come across some interesting trees lately. Much easier on the eyes than looking down at the ground which is starting to resemble a moonscape. Drought has decimated the groundcover out here (except for cactus & noxious weeds). We have had only one good season in the last 6 years so it makes a pretty […]
Although not taphoglyphs ( carved trees around a burial site ) a tree at a burial site here could have a man’s mombarai carved in the wood. “Among the Euahlayi, burial practice could differ. Dunbar (1943) recorded a burial in the fully flexed position: a grave was dug and the body was placed sitting and […]
These are some of the ceremonial tree designs found in our area taken from The Australian museum magazine June 1 1940. At least 3 of these are represented here .The quotes below come from Lindsay Black – BURIAL TREES – BEING THE FIRST OF A SERIES ON THE ABORIGINAL CUSTOMS OF THE DARLING VALLEY AND CENTRAL NEW […]
The following post is drawn from : The Astronomy of the Kamilaroi People and their Neighbours Robert S. Fuller1,2, Ray P. Norris1,3, Michelle Trudgett1 1Department of Indigenous Studies, Warawara, Macquarie University NSW 2109, Australia With a few exceptions, Scorpius is referenced not for the star pattern, but for some dark spaces around it. King Rory […]
Various designs were carved on the chest arms or back of the Kamilaroi boys years ago. These were known as ‘ mombarai ‘ or drawings that identified their family or clan. It is possible these simple designs could have been carved on trees as well ? Not randomly like graffiti but more like a message […]
I was very sorry to lose another lovely old scar tree to lightning strikes again this week. I put it on the home page gallery to mark its passing. The fire didn’t spread because the paddock is always stocked with sheep. Sheep keep the grass low so there is no build up of fuel that […]
I recently spent a week in Mexico and was very impressed with the Mayan cultural artefacts in the Anthropological museum and the Teotihuacan pyramids. The Inca Olmec Maya & Aztec civilisations were amazing in their own ways and all had much superior technology to the Australian Aboriginals. Some left behind not just pyramids and cities […]
I have found many burnt scars here and they seem to fall into 3 different varieties. The most common seems to be the possum trees…where a smoky fire is set at the base of the hollow trunk to force possums or other inhabitants upwards and out natural or cut holes into the arms or net of […]
I found an old campfire the other day, what they call an ‘ Emu pat hearth ‘ which is the remainder of hard baked clay from a fire . You can see a photo of it in the scars in country archive, just a small pile of orangey red burnt clay lumps out in the […]
In 2003 Andrew Long ( Andrew Long & Ass. Archaeological & Heritage consultants ) wrote ” There is an enormous amount of information that can be gathered from scarred trees , though so far this potential has not been widely explored ” . And so it remains ….I have contacted every Aboriginal / Archaeological Uni dept./group/politician that […]