Rock Paintings

Aboriginal people and tribes used rock painting to describe their everyday lives, mapping; to show others where waterholes or good hunting grounds were and their spiritual beliefs; painting dreamtime stories for future generations. Every aboriginal tribe had their own style of painting and key so it was hard to understand symbols unless you belonged to that tribe. Most cave paintings date back to 2,000-10,000 BCE! An example of of an ancient rock paintings is the wandjina in the Kimberley, said to be one of the oldest rock paintings in the world dating back to 60,000 BCE. The wandjinas are the supreme creators with eyes like a storm and no mouths. When their spirits die dreamtime legend says that they painted their image on a cave wall and became the landscape. Rock paintings demonstrate that Aboriginals had a complex belief system which they incorporated in their everyday life and were using mapping techniques to assist their lifestyle.