Symbols of Power: The Firearm Paintings of Madjedbebe (Malakunanja II)

Date

2017

Authors

May, Sally K.
Wesley, Daryl
Goldhahn, Joakim
Litster, Mirani
Manera, Brad

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Springer Verlag

Abstract

Depictions of firearms in Australian Aboriginal rock art provide a unique opportunity to archaeologically explore the roles that this type of material culture played in times of culture contact. From the earliest interactions with explorers to the buffalo shooting enterprises of the twentieth century—firearms played complex and shifting roles in western Arnhem Land Aboriginal societies. The site of Madjedbebe (sometimes referred to as Malakunanja II in earlier academic literature) in Jabiluka (Mirarr Country), offers the opportunity to explore these shifting roles over time with an unprecedented 16 paintings of firearms spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This rock art provides evidence for early firearms as objects of curiosity and threat to local groups, as well as evidence for later personal ownership and use of such weaponry. Moreover, we argue that the rock art suggests increasing incorporation of firearms into traditional cultural belief and artistic systems over time with Madjedbebe playing a key role in the communication of the cultural meanings behind this new subject matter.

Description

Keywords

Rock art, Arnhem land, Weapons, Firearms

Citation

Source

International Journal of Historical Archaeology

Type

Journal article

Book Title

Entity type

Access Statement

Open Access

License Rights

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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