Early Australian Anthropomorphs : Jabiluka's Dynamic Figure Rock Paintings

• Early depictions of anthropomorphs in rock art provide unique insights into life during the deep past. This includes human engagements with the environment, socio-cultural practices , gender and uses of material culture. In Australia, the Dynamic Figure rock paintings of Arnhem Land are recognized as the earliest style in the region where humans are explicitly depicted. Important questions, such as the nature and signicance of body adornment in rock art and society, can be explored, given the detailed nature of the human gurative art and the sheer number of scenes depicted. In this paper, we make a case for Dynamic Figure rock art having some of the earliest and most extensive depictions of complex an-thropomorph scenes found anywhere in the world.

Subject headings

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi -- Arkeologi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology -- Archaeology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Rock art

Australia

Archaeology

Arkeologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)