Aborigines - “aboriginal“ = “the first“, “the earliest known“ - Australia was the home of the first people - 40.000 years ago, the sea passages narrower - the ancestors of the Aborigines could come to Australie from their islands - sea levels rose --> isolating Australia 44495iyd12epc7x - so isolated that Aborigines had little contacts to outside groups - Aboriginal lived in harmony with their environment Hunting - the Aborigines got everything they need from the nature yp495i4412eppc - they were limited to the range of food in their area - some groups were static because food was readily obtainable, but some groups had to travel around in their area to keep alive - the Aborigines hunted and gathered their food First Sightnings: - first recording sightning of Australia was 1606 by the Dutch - result: the Dutch government decided that the land was not suitable for colonisation Macassans: The first visitors? - the Macassans live in camps (well organized) - taught the Aborigines in making knives and tomahawks - Aborigines adopted some Macassans words into their own language Colonisation: - 1788: the first fleet arrived in Australia - country was inhabited by about 300.000 Aborigines - the settlers wanted to become industrious but the Aborigines didn’t want to give up their way of life - Aborigines began to lose their hunting grounds and watering holes Art: - the art was regarded as an integral part of life - markings and designs have totemic significance - paintings tell stories and they reflect what happens around the Aborigines - there are different kinds of art: Rock engraving, Bark painting, Symbols and Ground paintings Mythology: - ”Dreamtime” is the mythological past --> mythology grows up step by step - Aborigines have a lot of different ceremonies in which they sing, dance and pray - in Aboriginal society are a lot of problems, for example that the people become sick and they die - “mediine man”: he’s a very powerful man and he tries to remove the “evil” from sick persons with spells Didgeridoo: - traditional music instrument of the Aborigines - made out of a piece of eucalyptus tree - used in ceremonies - possibly the world’s oldest music instrument
