Jo McDonald
Dynamics of the Dreaming was a collaboration between Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, UWA and RioTinto. The project researched both deep time and contemporary values. The aim was to understand the scientific and cultural values of the National Heritage Listed Place - and to support the World Heritage nomination.
The Dampier Archipelago - Murujuga - is on the Pilbara coast of Western Australia. This land and seascape has some of the world’s most abundant and diverse petroglyphs (engraved rock art) as well as a myriad of other archaeological evidence for Aboriginal occupation through deep time.
On Australia’s National Heritage List since 2007 and placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List in February 2020, Murujuga is recognised as one of Australia’s most culturally and scientifically significant rock art regions.
This cultural landscape is of great significance to the Ngarda-ngarli people, represented by Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC). MAC represents the Yaburara-Mardudunhera and Ngarluma-Yinjabarndi and Wong-goo-tt-oo Native title groups.
This project focussed on the full timescale for human occupation at Murujuga:
• How and where did people create rock art here after 50,000 years ago?
• How did people transition from arid inland hunter gatherers to Holocene coastal hunter gatherer fisherpersons?
• What were the early encounters with explorers, whalers, pearlers and colonial settlers?
This project prioritised a collaborative two-way working relationship with MAC custodians and the MLSU Rangers.
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All photographs within this monograph were taken by CRAR+M researchers, partners and students, and have been given cultural approval for publication by Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation. Future use of imagery would require additional permissions from Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and CRAR+M.
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