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Sails Set in Stone: A Technological Analysis of Non-indigenous Watercraft Rock Art Paintings in North Western Arnhem Land

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Abstract

In 2008 researchers from the Australian National University’s Archaeology and Natural History Department and Flinders University’s Program in Maritime Archaeology recorded nine non-Indigenous watercraft rock art images in a rock-shelter in the Wellington Range of north western Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. During the project it was recognised that one of the missing elements of interpreting watercraft in rock art was a comprehensive analytical framework that can be tested and reproduced. The development of such a framework can be used by future researchers to begin addressing the larger issues and considerations represented in non-Indigenous watercraft depictions across Australia.

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Acknowledgments

This research was undertaken by funding provided by the Australian Research Council Linkage grant LP0882985. The authors would like to acknowledge the following people for their assistance in the fieldwork and preparation of this paper. Traditional Owner Ronald Lamilami, for permission to undertake the field work and use the information for this paper. Field data was collected with assistance from Toni Massey and Kenny Keeping. Field work was facilitated by Ian White, Northern Land Council and the Jabiru Regional Office. Additional assistance in the field was kindly provided by the Office of the Supervising Scientist, NRETAS, and Bushfires Council of the Northern Territory. The final paper has benefited from comments and suggestions made by our colleagues Amy Roberts and Mack McCarthy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Archaeology and Natural History, Australia National University, Acton, ACT, Australia

    Daryl Wesley

  2. Department of Archaeology, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia

    Jennifer F. McKinnon & Jason T. Raupp

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  1. Daryl Wesley
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  2. Jennifer F. McKinnon
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  3. Jason T. Raupp
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Correspondence to Jennifer F. McKinnon.

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Wesley, D., McKinnon, J.F. & Raupp, J.T. Sails Set in Stone: A Technological Analysis of Non-indigenous Watercraft Rock Art Paintings in North Western Arnhem Land. J Mari Arch 7, 245–269 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-012-9103-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-012-9103-z

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