Rock art a window into the past that needs protecting
Multiple layers of artwork, from very faded to more recent ones in vibrant colours, showed the power of the site that people kept coming back to for thousands of years, she recalls.
Dr Domingo Sanz, an international rock art expert, is vice president of the World Archaeological Congress which is meeting in Darwin this week, attracting thousands of delegates.
Australia had the longest continuing rock art tradition and protecting ancient art sites was necessary to preserve the identity of Indigenous communities, she said.
But preservation was also important to the global community as a window into the human past.
Rock art sites in Australia have been dated back to 28,000 years, but it was likely there were sites that went back thousands of years before that, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
She has studied world heritage paleolithic rock art sites in Europe and elsewhere and also worked with Flinders University on Australian sites in Arnhem Land.
"Rock art is what makes us really human, different to other species because it's the capacity of communicating through images which is something that only humans do," she told AAP.
"If we erase this rock art, we are erasing the identity of the people who produced it and the identity of the people who inherited it."
The congress would address conflict and its threat to archaeological sites and people's culture through the destruction of cultural heritage to impose power over others, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
Industrial threats to rock art, such as mining and energy projects in Australia, could be seen as "a kind of passive war in which you are destroying someone else's heritage", she said.
Dr Domingo Sanz said there was technology available to help solve such issues, and mining and energy projects could always be sited away from key ancient sites, which in themselves could become tourist draws.
Rock art in Spain cannot by law be destroyed or moved, she said.
In May 2020, Rio Tinto's destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in the Pilbara left traditional custodians devastated and caused global outrage, prompting the mining giant to apologise.
The Juukan incident was now used in archaeology classes as an example of how not do things Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"I hope the example will help to protect other sites."
Rock art could teach about changes in species, such as now-extinct thylacines and fish being depicted thousands of years ago, as well as indicate changes in weapons or tools used by ancient peoples, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"There are many topics that can be addressed through the study of rock art, so I think this is a key reason why we should protect it."
More recent rock art depictions can also inform, such as the portrayals of Asian and European sailing vessels arriving with their foreign crews.
"We always hear the story of the colonial arrival to Australia from the Western perspective,"Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"That's one side of the story. What about the other side? They didn't write it down, but they depicted it in the art."
Spanish archaeologist Ines Domingo Sanz cried when she first saw ancient Aboriginal rock paintings in Arnhem Land.
Multiple layers of artwork, from very faded to more recent ones in vibrant colours, showed the power of the site that people kept coming back to for thousands of years, she recalls.
Dr Domingo Sanz, an international rock art expert, is vice president of the World Archaeological Congress which is meeting in Darwin this week, attracting thousands of delegates.
Australia had the longest continuing rock art tradition and protecting ancient art sites was necessary to preserve the identity of Indigenous communities, she said.
But preservation was also important to the global community as a window into the human past.
Rock art sites in Australia have been dated back to 28,000 years, but it was likely there were sites that went back thousands of years before that, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
She has studied world heritage paleolithic rock art sites in Europe and elsewhere and also worked with Flinders University on Australian sites in Arnhem Land.
"Rock art is what makes us really human, different to other species because it's the capacity of communicating through images which is something that only humans do," she told AAP.
"If we erase this rock art, we are erasing the identity of the people who produced it and the identity of the people who inherited it."
The congress would address conflict and its threat to archaeological sites and people's culture through the destruction of cultural heritage to impose power over others, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
Industrial threats to rock art, such as mining and energy projects in Australia, could be seen as "a kind of passive war in which you are destroying someone else's heritage", she said.
Dr Domingo Sanz said there was technology available to help solve such issues, and mining and energy projects could always be sited away from key ancient sites, which in themselves could become tourist draws.
Rock art in Spain cannot by law be destroyed or moved, she said.
In May 2020, Rio Tinto's destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in the Pilbara left traditional custodians devastated and caused global outrage, prompting the mining giant to apologise.
The Juukan incident was now used in archaeology classes as an example of how not do things Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"I hope the example will help to protect other sites."
Rock art could teach about changes in species, such as now-extinct thylacines and fish being depicted thousands of years ago, as well as indicate changes in weapons or tools used by ancient peoples, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"There are many topics that can be addressed through the study of rock art, so I think this is a key reason why we should protect it."
More recent rock art depictions can also inform, such as the portrayals of Asian and European sailing vessels arriving with their foreign crews.
"We always hear the story of the colonial arrival to Australia from the Western perspective,"Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"That's one side of the story. What about the other side? They didn't write it down, but they depicted it in the art."
Spanish archaeologist Ines Domingo Sanz cried when she first saw ancient Aboriginal rock paintings in Arnhem Land.
Multiple layers of artwork, from very faded to more recent ones in vibrant colours, showed the power of the site that people kept coming back to for thousands of years, she recalls.
Dr Domingo Sanz, an international rock art expert, is vice president of the World Archaeological Congress which is meeting in Darwin this week, attracting thousands of delegates.
Australia had the longest continuing rock art tradition and protecting ancient art sites was necessary to preserve the identity of Indigenous communities, she said.
But preservation was also important to the global community as a window into the human past.
Rock art sites in Australia have been dated back to 28,000 years, but it was likely there were sites that went back thousands of years before that, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
She has studied world heritage paleolithic rock art sites in Europe and elsewhere and also worked with Flinders University on Australian sites in Arnhem Land.
"Rock art is what makes us really human, different to other species because it's the capacity of communicating through images which is something that only humans do," she told AAP.
"If we erase this rock art, we are erasing the identity of the people who produced it and the identity of the people who inherited it."
The congress would address conflict and its threat to archaeological sites and people's culture through the destruction of cultural heritage to impose power over others, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
Industrial threats to rock art, such as mining and energy projects in Australia, could be seen as "a kind of passive war in which you are destroying someone else's heritage", she said.
Dr Domingo Sanz said there was technology available to help solve such issues, and mining and energy projects could always be sited away from key ancient sites, which in themselves could become tourist draws.
Rock art in Spain cannot by law be destroyed or moved, she said.
In May 2020, Rio Tinto's destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in the Pilbara left traditional custodians devastated and caused global outrage, prompting the mining giant to apologise.
The Juukan incident was now used in archaeology classes as an example of how not do things Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"I hope the example will help to protect other sites."
Rock art could teach about changes in species, such as now-extinct thylacines and fish being depicted thousands of years ago, as well as indicate changes in weapons or tools used by ancient peoples, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"There are many topics that can be addressed through the study of rock art, so I think this is a key reason why we should protect it."
More recent rock art depictions can also inform, such as the portrayals of Asian and European sailing vessels arriving with their foreign crews.
"We always hear the story of the colonial arrival to Australia from the Western perspective,"Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"That's one side of the story. What about the other side? They didn't write it down, but they depicted it in the art."
Spanish archaeologist Ines Domingo Sanz cried when she first saw ancient Aboriginal rock paintings in Arnhem Land.
Multiple layers of artwork, from very faded to more recent ones in vibrant colours, showed the power of the site that people kept coming back to for thousands of years, she recalls.
Dr Domingo Sanz, an international rock art expert, is vice president of the World Archaeological Congress which is meeting in Darwin this week, attracting thousands of delegates.
Australia had the longest continuing rock art tradition and protecting ancient art sites was necessary to preserve the identity of Indigenous communities, she said.
But preservation was also important to the global community as a window into the human past.
Rock art sites in Australia have been dated back to 28,000 years, but it was likely there were sites that went back thousands of years before that, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
She has studied world heritage paleolithic rock art sites in Europe and elsewhere and also worked with Flinders University on Australian sites in Arnhem Land.
"Rock art is what makes us really human, different to other species because it's the capacity of communicating through images which is something that only humans do," she told AAP.
"If we erase this rock art, we are erasing the identity of the people who produced it and the identity of the people who inherited it."
The congress would address conflict and its threat to archaeological sites and people's culture through the destruction of cultural heritage to impose power over others, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
Industrial threats to rock art, such as mining and energy projects in Australia, could be seen as "a kind of passive war in which you are destroying someone else's heritage", she said.
Dr Domingo Sanz said there was technology available to help solve such issues, and mining and energy projects could always be sited away from key ancient sites, which in themselves could become tourist draws.
Rock art in Spain cannot by law be destroyed or moved, she said.
In May 2020, Rio Tinto's destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in the Pilbara left traditional custodians devastated and caused global outrage, prompting the mining giant to apologise.
The Juukan incident was now used in archaeology classes as an example of how not do things Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"I hope the example will help to protect other sites."
Rock art could teach about changes in species, such as now-extinct thylacines and fish being depicted thousands of years ago, as well as indicate changes in weapons or tools used by ancient peoples, Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"There are many topics that can be addressed through the study of rock art, so I think this is a key reason why we should protect it."
More recent rock art depictions can also inform, such as the portrayals of Asian and European sailing vessels arriving with their foreign crews.
"We always hear the story of the colonial arrival to Australia from the Western perspective,"Dr Domingo Sanz said.
"That's one side of the story. What about the other side? They didn't write it down, but they depicted it in the art."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Fallen heroes honoured as Australia marks 80 years since end of World War II
A country boy who flew a B-24 bomber over Borneo in July 1945 did not live long enough to witness the end of World War II. Warrant Officer Class 2 Frederick Balfe Emanuel died mere weeks before Victory in the Pacific Day on August 15, when Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the Allies. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Fallen heroes remembered 80 years after end of WWII. At age 22, Emanuel enlisted in the Australian army serving in Papua New Guinea before joining the Far Eastern Liaison Office, where he took part in dangerous reconnaissance missions. He is being honoured at the Australian War Memorial on Friday, as the nation marks the 80th anniversary of the bloody war that reached its shores coming to a fateful end. 'His story is a heartbreaking reminder of how close some came to seeing peace yet never returned home,' memorial director Matt Anderson said. 'This is honouring a country boy who became a Sydneysider yet did not survive to finish his story.' Other commemorations include a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft conducting a flypast over the National War Memorial in Adelaide. Australia played a significant role in the Pacific during World War II, fighting against Japan from 1941 to 1945. Initially, Australian forces engaged in campaigns in Malaya and Singapore. After the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, the focus shifted to defending the Australian mainland and supporting the US-led counteroffensive in the Pacific. RSL national president Greg Melick said the occasion was an important time for Australia to recognise the sacrifices of so many fallen soldiers. 'For Australians, that day meant that the Second World War was finally over,' he said. 'As the number of WWII veterans dwindle, it is vital that we commemorate their collective contribution to our liberty and way of life.' He said nearly one million Australians, about one in seven of the population at the time, served in uniform during the Second World War. Almost 40,000 died and 66,000 were wounded. Many thousands more became prisoners of war, with 8000 dying in captivity. 'The end of the war brought heartache for many families when, after years of waiting for news of the missing, they were told that their loved ones were not coming home,' Mr Melick said.
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
World War II heroes robbed of return home honoured
A country boy who flew a B-24 bomber over Borneo in July 1945 did not live long enough to witness the end of World War II. Warrant Officer Class 2 Frederick Balfe Emanuel died mere weeks before Victory in the Pacific Day on August 15, when Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the Allies. At age 22, Emanuel enlisted in the Australian army serving in Papua New Guinea before joining the Far Eastern Liaison Office, where he took part in dangerous reconnaissance missions. He is being honoured at the Australian War Memorial on Friday, as the nation marks the 80th anniversary of the bloody war that reached its shores coming to a fateful end. "His story is a heartbreaking reminder of how close some came to seeing peace yet never returned home," memorial director Matt Anderson said. "This is honouring a country boy who became a Sydneysider yet did not survive to finish his story." Other commemorations include a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft conducting a flypast over the National War Memorial in Adelaide. Australia played a significant role in the Pacific during World War II, fighting against Japan from 1941 to 1945. Initially, Australian forces engaged in campaigns in Malaya and Singapore. After the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, the focus shifted to defending the Australian mainland and supporting the US-led counteroffensive in the Pacific. RSL national president Greg Melick said the occasion was an important time for Australia to recognise the sacrifices of so many fallen soldiers. "For Australians, that day meant that the Second World War was finally over," he said. "As the number of WWII veterans dwindle, it is vital that we commemorate their collective contribution to our liberty and way of life." He said nearly one million Australians, about one in seven of the population at the time, served in uniform during the Second World War. Almost 40,000 died and 66,000 were wounded. Many thousands more became prisoners of war, with 8000 dying in captivity. "The end of the war brought heartache for many families when, after years of waiting for news of the missing, they were told that their loved ones were not coming home," Mr Melick said.
Sky News AU
11 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Urban planner Sam Austin reveals hidden Aussie city at North Arm Cove
Like some Mayan mystery, a fully designed city lies hidden in the Australian bushland just two hours north of Sydney. Located in present-day North Arm Cove, just north of Newcastle in the Hunter Valley, the city includes a complex web of housing lots with plans for train and port terminals and administrative buildings. 'And even crazier, it almost became the country's capital,' urban planner Sam Austin revealed in a widely-watched social media post this week. 'From a satellite photo, you might assume it's just bushland. But hidden under the trees is a fully designed city.' The lost city, which was to be called Port Stephens City, was designed by legendary architect Walter Burley Griffin, the urban planner who designed Canberra. Mr Austin, speaking with NewsWire from Canada, said he spotted the outlines of Port Stephens City seven or eight years ago while 'playing around with Google Maps'. 'I was just playing around came across it and thought, 'wow, what is this?' he said. 'Why is there this weird subdivision patch hidden in the trees? I did some googling and discovered North Arm Cove and thought it was absolutely fascinating.' Canberra pulled investment away from Port Stephens City and it was never developed. The area, which sits within the Mid Coast Council area, is now a 'paper subdivision', meaning it has been legally divided into lots, but has never been physically developed with roads or power infrastructure. 'It's really fascinating. There are examples like this all over NSW,' Mr Austin told NewsWire. 'They are called paper subdivisions. A lot of big paper subdivisions were made 100, 150 years ago, by various surveyors, with the intention of creating new towns across the country.' Mr Griffin envisioned a 'garden city' for Port Stephens City, similar to Canberra's design, typified by expanding concentric rings of development all connected via train. 'You can see that really clearly in the Port Stephens city design,' Mr Austin said. 'It has a very central rail terminal and then you can see a concentric circle design that extends out of it.' North Arm Cove has remained dormant for decades, but there is gathering interest in developing the area in light of the country's sharpening housing crisis. But any development will likely be complex and expensive. There is no road, power or drainage infrastructure in North Arm Cove and the council has stated repeatedly it would be 'prohibitively expensive' to build there. It is not zoned for residential development, but a potential change in zoning to 'environmental living' could crack open the door to more housing. There are about 4000 lots in North Arm Cove, with about 1000 of them owned by the council. Mr Austin also expressed some caution about new development in what he called 'pristine bushland'. 'I much prefer to see urban consolidation, or development around existing settlements, particularly given there is very strong ecological value in that area,' he said. 'I do have some reservations on broad scale development in essentially pristine bushland, which is what it is.' Originally published as Urban planning guru Sam Austin reveals hidden Aussie bushland city near Sydney
