Marra Wonga (or Turraburra), formerly known as
Gracevale,
is a major
Aboriginal rock art
In archaeology, rock arts are human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type al ...
site near
Barcaldine in
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, Australia.
The location of a
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations.
Due to the similarity, the term '' scarp'' may mistakenly be incorrectly used inte ...
forming a rock shelter over 160 metres in length, it comprises 111
stencil
Stencilling produces an image or pattern on a surface by applying pigment to a surface through an intermediate object, with designed holes in the intermediate object. The holes allow the pigment to reach only some parts of the surface creatin ...
s and over 15,000
petroglyph
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
s (carvings), the oldest of which date back more than 5,000 years. The petroglyphs are mostly lines, grooves, drilled holes, and representations of animal tracks, although a cluster of human feet with six toes is carved into the floor of the shelter. Amongst the unique compositions to be found at Marra Wonga are "engraved star-like designs with central engraved pits and large, engraved snake-like designs running across and through other petroglyphs".
In 2019, the site was purchased for the custodians of the local
Iningai
The Iningai (Yiningayi) are an indigenous Australian people of the present-day Longreach Region in the state of Queensland.
Country
The traditional lands of the Iningai lay to the west of the Great Dividing Range as far as the Forsyth Range, Man ...
people by the
Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation
The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) is an Australian federal government statutory authority with national responsibilities to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to acquire land and to manage assets to achieve cultura ...
(ILSC) of the
Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...
. It is now managed by the Yambangku Aboriginal Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development Aboriginal Corporation (YACHATDAC)
and there are plans to open a multimillion-dollar education centre.
See also
*
Rock art
In archaeology, rock arts are human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type al ...
*
Indigenous Australian art
Indigenous Australian art includes art made by Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, including collaborations with others. It includes works in a wide range of media including painting on leaves, bark painting, wood carving, rock ...
References
External links
YACHATDAC website
Rock art in Australia
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