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Cave paintings from 35-ish millennia ago probably count as writing. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/journey-oldest-cave-paintings-world-180957685/ https

Cave paintings from 35-ish millennia ago probably count as writing. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/journey-oldest-cave-paintings-world-180957685/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/journey-oldest-cave-p...

defrost 2y ago
A bit further not quite due south is the Burrup Peninsula rock art, “The art also has a longer sequence than any of these other sites, extending from recent times back at least 40,000 years, probably 50,000 years.” ~ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-worlds-largest-collection-of-ancient-rock-carvings-is-under-threat https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-worlds... ~ https://therangeskarratha.com.au/explore/rock-art https://therangeskarratha.com.au/explore/rock-art Naturally threatened by Oil&Gas hub expansion.
- card_zero 2y ago
  But what do they say? I'm picking up "I saw a kangaroo", and maybe also "I saw a thylacine" - or is it a numbat? - and then something about a spotty ovoid Pac-Man with spindly limbs, that one's a scary story.
  - defrost 2y ago
    It's pico-oral mnemonic's that go hand in hand with stories passed down according to the people that had generational custodianship, these, and numerous other rock art sites throughout the Pilbarra and Kimberley (eg: Bradshaw's et al https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwion_Gwion_rock_paintings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwion_Gwion_rock_paintings )
    - card_zero 2y ago
      "Long ago Kujon a black bird, painted on the rocks. He struck his bill against the stones so that it Bleed, and with the blood he painted. He painted no animals, only human-shaped figures which probably represent spirits." I like the way that ended. More traditional stories should contain vague words like "probably". It reminds me of the part in the book of Revelation where "there was silence in heaven for about half an hour".
      - defrost 2y ago
        When pressed, the expedition's Aboriginal guide explained their creation As quoted third hand by Agnes Schultz in 1956. It's far removed from the manner in which, say, Kumantjayi Mowaljarlai spoke directly first hand about the works he maintained. https://magabala.com.au/products/yorro-yorro https://magabala.com.au/products/yorro-yorro There's much lost in translation.
        card_zero 2y ago
        Ngolngol the Cyclone Spirit. The figure has long fanned-out earlobes, rain curtaining from raised arms, ancient. Ancient too is his neighbour, Djua, the Devil-Devil Bird with the big penis. His wife killed a little child and cooked it for him. At night, when the women heard his panting coming towards the camp, they would quickly put their infants to the breast so that Djua could not hear the babies’ crying. Here, he is depicted as a hopping scrotum. Cool. It can't all be myths, though, I seem to remember one piece of more recent rock art depicts sailing ships.

defrost 2y ago

A bit further not quite due south is the Burrup Peninsula rock art, “The art also has a longer sequence than any of these other sites, extending from recent times back at least 40,000 years, probably 50,000 years.” ~ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-worlds-largest-collection-of-ancient-rock-carvings-is-under-threat https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-worlds... ~ https://therangeskarratha.com.au/explore/rock-art https://therangeskarratha.com.au/explore/rock-art Naturally threatened by Oil&Gas hub expansion.

card_zero 2y ago
But what do they say? I'm picking up "I saw a kangaroo", and maybe also "I saw a thylacine" - or is it a numbat? - and then something about a spotty ovoid Pac-Man with spindly limbs, that one's a scary story.
- defrost 2y ago
  It's pico-oral mnemonic's that go hand in hand with stories passed down according to the people that had generational custodianship, these, and numerous other rock art sites throughout the Pilbarra and Kimberley (eg: Bradshaw's et al https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwion_Gwion_rock_paintings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwion_Gwion_rock_paintings )
  - card_zero 2y ago
    "Long ago Kujon a black bird, painted on the rocks. He struck his bill against the stones so that it Bleed, and with the blood he painted. He painted no animals, only human-shaped figures which probably represent spirits." I like the way that ended. More traditional stories should contain vague words like "probably". It reminds me of the part in the book of Revelation where "there was silence in heaven for about half an hour".
    - defrost 2y ago
      When pressed, the expedition's Aboriginal guide explained their creation As quoted third hand by Agnes Schultz in 1956. It's far removed from the manner in which, say, Kumantjayi Mowaljarlai spoke directly first hand about the works he maintained. https://magabala.com.au/products/yorro-yorro https://magabala.com.au/products/yorro-yorro There's much lost in translation.
      - card_zero 2y ago
        Ngolngol the Cyclone Spirit. The figure has long fanned-out earlobes, rain curtaining from raised arms, ancient. Ancient too is his neighbour, Djua, the Devil-Devil Bird with the big penis. His wife killed a little child and cooked it for him. At night, when the women heard his panting coming towards the camp, they would quickly put their infants to the breast so that Djua could not hear the babies’ crying. Here, he is depicted as a hopping scrotum. Cool. It can't all be myths, though, I seem to remember one piece of more recent rock art depicts sailing ships.