Chapter 1
The architecture of deep time
Chapter 2
Songlines and the map of the stars
Chapter 3
Fire, water, and ancient engineering
Chapter 4
Art on the rocks and in the sand
Ch 4 · Art on the rocks and in the sand
matilda Australian Rock and Sand Art
Lines on the stone, maps in the sand, we read the land!
matilda Paintings at Ubirr and Burrungkuy record extinct thylacines alongside European sailing ships, functioning as a classroom and historical archive.
Quiz
What dual purpose did the rock art galleries of Kakadu serve for Indigenous communities?
Quiz
Which extinct carnivorous marsupial is famously depicted in the ancient rock art of Kakadu?
matilda Gwion Gwion rock paintings depict highly detailed ceremonial dress from the last Ice Age.
Quiz
In which remote region of Western Australia are the elegant Gwion Gwion rock paintings found?
Quiz
Why have the Gwion Gwion paintings survived for over 17,000 years without fading away?
Fun Fact
Living paint: Some ancient rock art in Australia is kept "alive" because a species of pigmented bacteria and fungi lives on the paint, preserving the colors naturally.
Quiz
What iconic style of contemporary Indigenous art was popularized by the Papunya Tula movement?
Quiz
Why did Papunya Tula artists use dots and abstract patterns in their acrylic canvas paintings?
Quiz
In which Australian state is Carnarvon Gorge, famous for its extensive hand stencil galleries, located?