Madrid, July 2 (Europa Press) –
Evidence of tribal customs They date back 500 generationsDated to around 12,000 years old, it has been identified in Cloggs Cave in the Victorian Alps in Australia’s south-east.
These findings were published in the journal nature human behavior, This means that “nowhere on earth has archaeological evidence been found of any highly distinctive cultural practice that has been detected far behind the times“The study’s author, Professor Bruno David from the Monash Centre for Indigenous Studies at Monash University, says, This is a statement.
Archaeological excavations revealed two small fireplaces, each with a stick stuck inside..The upper chimney was the size of a human palm, with a casuarina stem partially burned amid the ashes. The second chimney, buried deeper in the reservoir, also had a casuarina stem, its shape with an angular rear end like a throwing stick.
In a remarkable discovery, chemical analysis revealed that both sticks were coated with animal or human fat, and date to 11,000 and 12,000 years ago respectively, marking the end of the last ice age.
Nineteenth-century ethnography provides detailed descriptions of such fireplaces, shedding light on their purpose. Alfred Howitt, a government geologist and pioneer ethnographer, documented the ritual practices of the mulla-mulung, powerful medicine men and women of the Gunaikurnai.
The ritual involved attaching something belonging to the sick person to the end of a throwing stick smeared with human or kangaroo fat. The throwing stick was then buried in the ground at an angle before a fire was lit underneath. The mulla-mulung would then chant the name of the sick person and once the stick fell, the spell was complete.
Importantly, Howitt stated that the stick was made of casuarina and “The practice still exists.”
Professor Bruno David said the findings are evidence of the persistence of Gunaikurnai cultural practices and oral traditions.
“Linking these archaeological finds to recent Gunaikurnai practices reveals 12,000 years knowledge transfer“Professor David said.