Massive Outback rock art site reveals ancient narrative

The story behind the large sandstone rock art site that features seven star-like designs, large snake-like designs, six toed human feet and even a penis has been revealed by researchers.

The various art works within the 160-meter-long rock shelter known as Mar will be studied by Professor Paul and Dr. Jalandoni from the Australian Research Center for Human Evolution.

The site contained more than 15,000 individual rock art works, which were mostly animal tracks, lines, grooves and drilled holes.

Seven large, engraved star-like designs with central engraved pits and large, engraved snake-like designs ran across and through the shelter wall.

There was a group of human-shaped feet on the floor of the shelter.

The ten clusters of designs spread across the length of the engraved area of Marra Wonga appear to have been placed in a particular order, from south to north, although the designs were likely made at different times, with anAccumulation of these clusters and other rock markings over time," says Professor

The correct sequence is what makes sense for contemporary Aboriginal community members.

This is part of it.

• an anthropomorph interpreted as an Ancestral Being known as Wattanuri by Iningai and other elders;
• a snake-like design;
• a cluster of engraved feet on the floor including those with six-toes;
• an engraved "penis";
• seven star-like design cluster;
• a long engraved snake;
• two red boomerang stencils one above the other;
• a red digging stick stencil, stenciled tips and possible ring pad stencil;
• engraved human-like feet and dingo track;
• an engraved star-like design.

There is a connection with the Pleiades star cluster, the seven sisters being chased by men or a man, and sometimes a hunter and/or clever man associated with the constellation of the same name.

There is an engraved depiction of Wattanuri at the southern end of the site, which is believed to be Marra Wonga.

The portrayal of the actions of the sisters and their pursuer in an ancient era of the Dreamtime led to the creation of landscape features across Australia.

Professor Tacon said that all rock art sites have stories associated with particular designs and the sites themselves.

There is no other rock art site that has a narrative that runs across the entire site.

In Australia, we are fortunate that some remain strong, like Marra Wonga, because it is very rare in the world today to have detailed ethnographic perspectives.

This research was done by the team with the help of the Yambangku Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development Aboriginal Corporation.

The findings of "Marra Wonga: Archaeological and contemporary First Nations interpretations of one of centralQueensland's largest rock art sites" have been published.

More information: Paul S. C. Taçon et al, Marra Wonga: Archaeological and contemporary First Nations interpretations of one of central Queensland's largest rock art sites, Australian Archaeology (2022). DOI: 10.1080/03122417.2022.2084666