#Torres strait islands

[chimeride]

Dogai, the 226th Known One.

Suggested by @thecreaturecodex.

[blakpearlsss]

Skulls were the main trading currency used by the Torres Strait Islander people with their Papuan New Guinean neighbours. These trading skulls were acquired in battle and through raiding parties to other islands and the Australian mainland. The skulls of family members, those of important leaders and revered warriors were not traded. Skulls were used in various rituals.

Byerb Ibaik refers to the scraping of the bone above the eye sockets of a skull that belonged to a legendary warrior. A paste was made of the scrapings and fed to young boy babies to imbue in them the skill, courage and other attributes that contributed to the warrior’s fame during his lifetime. 

[skullsandpearlsss]

The Torres Strait Islands’ conversion to Christianity essentially brought an end to cultural traditions such as witchcraft and headhunting; the ritual practice of taking the head of one’s enemy with a bamboo knife known as an upi having earned Islanders a feared reputation among early European explorers to the region. Christianity has also been credited by historians for tempering inter-island warfare, yet the warrior culture of the Torres Strait continues to run deep.

[newsbites]

Climate advocate and a traditional owner in Torres Strait Islands, Mr Yessie Mosby, says its deeply saddening to see the impact of climate change on his community and is calling on global action.

[micewithknives]

Skipping ALL things in my queue, and all the asks in my ask box, to tell y'all about THIS that came out a few hours ago. I cannot express how excited I am about this information finally being published.

Its not the first evidence of pottery technologies found in Australia, but the artefacts that have been found at the Lizard Island group in the past havent necessarily been datable. Evidence of pottery in the Torres Strait was also found in the early 2000s, and its been analysed to be evidence of trade with Papua New Guinea (who have an AMAZING history of pottery technology).

To our amazement, around 40cm below the surface we began to find pieces of pottery among the shells in the excavation. We knew this was a big deal. We carefully bagged each piece of pottery and mapped where each sherd came from, and kept digging.

But as of now, there's officially dated evidence for locally made pottery in Australia, of at least 1800 years. Not only outside the Torres Straight, but 300km south. Not only 1800+ years old, but also pre-dating the original known dates for Torres Straight Islands pottery, suggesting the possibility of even earlier pottery technology trade with PNG. AND ITS DECORATED.

Radiocarbon dating of charcoal and shells found close to the pottery shows that it is between 2,950 and 1,815 years old, making it the earliest securely dated pottery ever found in Australia. Analysis of the clays and tempers shows that all of the pottery was likely made on Jiigurru.

The pottery stopped at about 80cm depth, with 82 pieces of pottery in total. Most are very small, with an average length of just 18 millimetres. The pottery assemblage includes rim and neck pieces and some of the pottery is decorated with pigment and incised lines.

[arthistoryanimalia]

For #WorldDugongDay:

Alick Tipoti (Torres Strait: Badhu Island, Kala Lagaw Ya, b.1975)

Kisay Dhangal, 2016

Sculpture, bronze with mother-of-pearl inlay

194 × 202 × 102 cm, 280 kg

Australian National Maritime Museum 00054952

"Inscribed with traditional motifs and pearl shell, Kisay Dhangal reflects the life cycle and feeding patterns of the dhangal (dugong) in the Torres Strait Islands. The dhangal is captured in the position known as San Tidayk, in Kala Lagaw Ya language which marks the moment the mammal flips its tail to dive down and graze on the sea grass beds. A marine dust trail between the tail and figure of the moon emphasize how lunar cycles determine dugong feeding and mating habits."

[what-shitfuckery-is-this-ew]

every monster high fancast is just:

Frankie: white woman

Draculaura: white woman

Cleo: white woman

Lagoona: white woman

Abbey: white woman

Ghoulia: white woman

Clawdeen: Zendaya

[notahorseindisguise]

for those who don't know: this is the Aboriginal flag.

the black represents the colour of the skin of the people

the red represents the red earth and the spiritual connection to it, as well as the red ochre used in ceremonies

the yellow circle represents the sun, the giver of life

this is the Torres Strait Islander flag, a flag which is just as important, signifying another group of Indigenous australians

the green represents the land, the blue represents the sea

the black lines separating them represents the Torres Strait Islander people

the centre of the flag has a white dhari, a type of headdress

the white star underneath it symbolizes peace, and the 5 points represent the 5 island groups in the Torres Strait

please correct me if you believe any of this information is wrong

[queerasfact]

NAIDOC Week

It’s NAIDOC Week in Australia, a week acknowledging and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture.

If you’d like to learn a bit about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander queer history, we’ve put together a few links to get you started.

Peopling the Empty Mirror: The Prospects for Lesbian and Gay Aboriginal History by the Gays and Lesbians Aboriginal Alliance (1994) - an essay reviewing literature on Aboriginal sexuality, and discussing future of Aboriginal queer history

ATSI Rainbow Archive curated by Andrew Farrell - an online archive active from 2014 to 2021, cataloguing links from across the internet referencing queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences.

What do we know about queer Indigenous history? by James Findley (2018) - an article in which Findley speaks to queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about their understandings and experiences of queer Indigenous history.

Colouring the Rainbow: Blak Queer and Trans Perspectives edited by Dino Hodge (2015) - an anthology of essays and personal stories by twenty-two First Nations people exploring identity, culture and queerness.

We are far from experts so if you have links to more sources feel free to add them.

[official-boobies-posts]

always was, always will be aboriginal land ❤️💛🖤

[blakpearlsss]

My pearl skull necklace represents my Island Home. The pearl is for the pearl diving industry and the skull is for the headhunting. 💀

[triumph-of-adaptation]

Desirai.art for NAIDOC Week 2024

[father-imperator]

has anyone done an aboriginal miku. i really want to see that. do i have to do it myself.

[cartoonybus]

pnf revival hope: no more of this shit

[micewithknives]

Top 5 archaeological sites in Australia that you feel people should know more about? Or top 5 Australian artefacts?

I feel like I’ve talked a bit about artefacts in a few recent asks, and also I feel like a lot of Australian archaeology (and as such, sites) are very underrated, particularly on a global scale. Its often acknowledged in Australian archaeology that getting international academia to recognise the importance of our country’s archaeology is very very difficult.

While there’s a million and one sites I’d love to talk about, I’m going to TRY and give sites that relate to different aspects and locations

This is probably going to be long, so...

1. Nauwalabila, Madjedbebe (Malakunanja II), and the Deaf Adder Gorge region, Northern Territory (Aboriginal)

Rock shelters in this region, and specifically Madjedbebe, are currently the oldest location of human habitation in Australia. Dating evidence from 2017 excavations provided an estimate of earliest occupation of 50 000 years at certainty, possibly extending back as early as 65 000 (+/-6000). It also has provided a lot of evidence for research into the extensive grind stone technologies of the Pleistocene.

2. Cloggs Cave and the Buchan region of the Victorian Gippsland (Aboriginal)

So much research has been done into this region in various ways. Josephine Flood focused her research on Bogong Moth usage (and festivals) within this region, providing some of the earliest accepted academic research in support of Aboriginal peoples’ claims of large scale Bogong Moth Festivals in Australia’s highlands (although the fac that no one really believed communities until then…………..). In 2021 grind analysis found Bogong Moth residue, making this the earliest stone artefact with evidence of insect food remains. And in addition to that recent 2017 research in the area investigated Holocene occupation with Aboriginal community members, with a focus on understanding the interaction of spirituality with the resources found in the caves.

3. Mabuyag Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland (Torres Strait Islander)

Mabuyag Island (alternatively known as Mabuiag or Mabuyaagi) has archaeological evidence of human occupation since 7300 years ago. The island is both associated with recent religious practices associated with he heavy processing of dugong remains, and totemic associations with these, which played a role in early 2000s into community lead and directed archaeological research into ritual and religious traditions and practices. In addition to this, Mabuyag is the location of the first archaeological excavations in Australia to find pre-colonial pottery fragments. The fragments at the two sites on the island were associated with Melanesian and Papua New Guinean pottery trade. The excavations relating to pottery on the island played an important role in our understanding of domestic and international trade in pre-colonial Australia, and also formed an influence for the recent excavations at Lizard Island, 300km south, which identified the first datable domestically made pottery technology found in Australia.

4. Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney, NSW

Hyde Park Barracks is part of a collection of colonial heritage structures in Australia, relating to Australia’s time as a penal settlement. Hyde Park Barracks in particular were the location of the housing of convict men from 1819 to 1830, with the 1830s to 1840s also involving the site being a location of additional convict punishment, and the base for the Board of Assignment of Servants. Following on from a reduction of convicts to NSW in the 1840s, the Barracks became the Female Immigration Depot, and the Orphan Institution, later becoming the Asylum for Infirm and Destitute Women.

This time period of women’s occupation provides some of the most interesting archaeological remains, as redevelopment and management of the site has found high rates of preservation within walls, and in areas below floorboards. This includes textiles and fabrics, papers, and other non-organic materials such as pipes (with their tobacco intact) stashed in what was once floor, wall, and ceiling cavities. Archaeological investigations in the area form one of the most detailed assemblages of artefacts relating to instituted women in the British Empire during the 19th century.

5. Notch Point, Western Australia (Multicultural heritage)

Notch Point is a site of varied and mixed archaeology, ranging from pre- and post- colonial period Aboriginal heritage, to diverse 19th century occupation of the region by Chinese, European, Malay, and Aboriginal peoples in association with pearling industries off the coast. In addition to this, the point is located on Dirk Hartog Island (otherwise known as Wirruwana), the site of the earliest European arrival in Western Australia in 1616, and contains archaeological evidence of both various early Dutch interactions with the island in 1616 and 1697, as well as French arrival in 1772, 1801, and 1818. Notch Point in particular also contains evidence of conflict between the predominantly Chinese population of the pearling industry, with white-Australian and European pearling masters, and pastoral agents. Its not a site that is widely discussed, but provides a fascinating overlay of the amount of varied cultural groups that can be present within Australia’s archaeological sites.

-

-

Honourable mentions to:

Lake Mungo and the Willandra Lakes which should 100% be on this list, but also I feel like I talk about it ALL the time and I wanted to mention sites that I actually don’t see discussed a lot. Theyre super important for cultural reasons, for archaeological reasons, and also for their role the development of archaeology, Aboriginal community consultation, and the role its played in developing repatriation practices in modern Australia. I have multiple posts about them HERE

Budj Bin Eel Traps in Victoria (same reasons, I’ve definitely talked about them before).

Juukan Gorge (and its destruction, im still horrified)

Harrietville Chinese Mining Village

Strangway Strings and The Peake Afghan Cameleer sites

Recherche Bay in Tasmania, and its 1792 French settlement sites

Homebush Mill & Mission Hall in QLD and Beowa National Park sites containing South Sea Islander heritage

[arthistoryanimalia]

#MonochromeMonday :

Billy Missi (Torres Strait Islander, 1970-2012)

Seahorses & Squid, 1999

stone lithograph, 32 x 22 cm