• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

Indigenous carved boab trees in north-west Australia

Dario Radley by Dario Radley
October 12, 2022
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Linkedin.Share on RedditShare on Whatsapp

A collaborative effort between researchers and a group of First Nations Australians is underway to document ancient art found in the bark of Australia’s boab trees. In the remote Tanami Desert, a survey is being conducted to locate and record these trees.

Art in the bark: Indigenous carved boab trees in north-west Australia
Large boab tree with coiled snake carving, northern Tanami Desert. Credit: Darrell Lewis; Antiquity

Carved trees, also referred to as dendroglyphs or arborglyphs, represent a captivating yet largely undiscovered form of cultural heritage in Australia. Despite being overshadowed by the magnificent rock art found across the continent, these trees serve as a significant expression of Aboriginal visual cultural practice and tradition.

The broader category of culturally modified trees, encompassing various forms of scarring from resource extraction and cultural activities, is emerging as a growing area of study.

The Australian boab (Adansonia gregorii), easily identified by its large, bottle-shaped trunk, holds economic importance for Indigenous Australians, as its pith, seeds, and young roots are consumed.

Art in the bark: Indigenous carved boab trees in north-west Australia
Open-mouthed snake and emu track, northern Tanami Desert. The carving is approximately 1.2m across. Credit: Darrell Lewis; Antiquity

Additionally, many of these trees bear cultural significance, featuring motifs and symbols carved into their bark. After over two years of fieldwork involving researchers from The Australian National University (ANU), The University of Western Australia, and The University of Canberra, 12 trees with carvings were discovered through collaboration with five Traditional Owners.

Professor Sue O’Connor, from the ANU School of Culture, History, and Language, notes that many of the carved trees are centuries old, underscoring the urgency to create high-quality recordings before these heritage trees succumb.

Boabs, unlike most Australian trees, have soft and fibrous inner wood, leading them to collapse upon death. This remarkable artwork, comparable in significance to the renowned rock art, is now at risk of being lost.

Brenda Gladstone, a traditional owner, emphasizes the importance of preserving Indigenous knowledge and stories for future generations, describing the effort as a race against time.

Art in the bark: Indigenous carved boab trees in north-west Australia
Credit: S. O’Connor, D. Lewis; Antiquity

Professor O’Connor added Australian boabs have never been successfully dated. “They are often said to live for up to 2,000 years but this is based on the ages obtained from some of the massive baobab trees in South Africa which are a different species,” she says. “We simply don’t know how old the Australian boabs are.

Although more boabs are visible on Google Earth, researchers couldn’t explore them during this trip. However, they remain targets for examination on future Tanami adventures.

Researchers posit that, similar to the retouching of rock art to perpetuate creation stories, carvings on boab trees were regularly re-grooved. This practice likely served to maintain knowledge of the Dreamtime creative process and ensure that people’s obligations to observe the law stayed fresh in the memory of those using such campsites.

The collaboration in this project illustrates how incorporating traditional Indigenous knowledge into archaeological inquiries enriches our understanding of the cultural landscape and contributes to our knowledge of dendroglyphs in Australia.

More information: O’Connor, S., Balme, J., Frederick, U., Garstone, B., Bedford, R., Bedford, J., . . . Lewis, D. (2022). Art in the bark: Indigenous carved boab trees (Adansonia gregorii) in north-west Australia. Antiquity, 1-18. doi:10.15184/aqy.2022.129


Stay updated with us! Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter, and Linkedin, and join our WhatsApp and Telegram channels for the latest in archaeology, all directly on your favorite platforms!
ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Oldest whale bone tools discovered in Europe reveal Stone Age humans used marine resources 20,000 years ago
Archaeology

Oldest whale bone tools discovered in Europe reveal Stone Age humans used marine resources 20,000 years ago

May 31, 2025
Roman burial of infant twins in Croatia linked to lead poisoning
Anthropology

Roman burial of infant twins in Croatia linked to lead poisoning

May 31, 2025
18th-century gold mourning ring unearthed in Norfolk field by detectorist
Archaeology

18th-century gold mourning ring unearthed in Norfolk field by detectorist

May 30, 2025
Three ancient Egyptian tombs unearthed near Luxor reveal secrets of New Kingdom elite
Archaeology

Three ancient Egyptian tombs unearthed near Luxor reveal secrets of New Kingdom elite

May 30, 2025
43,000-year-old Neanderthal fingerprint discovered on stone is the world's oldest
Archaeology

43,000-year-old Neanderthal fingerprint discovered on stone is the world’s oldest

May 30, 2025
4,500-year-old clay baby rattles in Syria reveal mass production and parenting in the Bronze Age
Archaeology

4,500-year-old clay baby rattles in Syria reveal mass production and parenting in the Bronze Age

May 29, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
247K

Facebook
105K

Threads
42K

LinkedIn
12K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

May 17, 2025
Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

May 28, 2025
Stunning 1,600-year-old Byzantine mosaic unveiled in the Negev Desert of Israel

Stunning 1,600-year-old Byzantine mosaic unveiled in the Negev Desert of Israel

May 27, 2025
Silver amulet unearthed in Frankfurt grave Is the oldest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps

Silver amulet unearthed in Frankfurt grave Is the oldest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps

December 15, 2024
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado's expedition

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado’s expedition

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Oldest whale bone tools discovered in Europe reveal Stone Age humans used marine resources 20,000 years ago

Oldest whale bone tools discovered in Europe reveal Stone Age humans used marine resources 20,000 years ago

May 31, 2025
Roman burial of infant twins in Croatia linked to lead poisoning

Roman burial of infant twins in Croatia linked to lead poisoning

May 31, 2025
18th-century gold mourning ring unearthed in Norfolk field by detectorist

18th-century gold mourning ring unearthed in Norfolk field by detectorist

May 30, 2025
Three ancient Egyptian tombs unearthed near Luxor reveal secrets of New Kingdom elite

Three ancient Egyptian tombs unearthed near Luxor reveal secrets of New Kingdom elite

May 30, 2025
43,000-year-old Neanderthal fingerprint discovered on stone is the world's oldest

43,000-year-old Neanderthal fingerprint discovered on stone is the world’s oldest

May 30, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience and enable functionality and security of this site. Further detail is available in our Privacy Policy. By accepting all cookies, you consent to our use of cookies and use of data.