Contact Rock Art: A Biographical Perspective from Western Arnhem Land, Australia
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2025
Authors
May, S.
Lee, J.
Goldhahn, J.
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Journal article
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International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 2025; 1-25
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Sally K. May, Jefrey Lee, Joakim Goldhahn
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Abstract
In recent decades, Contact Rock Art has emerged as a critical area of study within global rock art research, ofering unique insights into cross-cultural encounters. These artworks serve as a lens through which we can examine the historical dynamics of encounters between Aboriginal people and newcomers to their shores. Traditionally, research in this feld has emphasized cultural-historical perspectives and formal analyses of these artworks. While we share this interest, we propose an alternative approach that transcends conventional interpretations by adopting a biographical perspective. This article investigates the lives and artistic expressions of known rock art artists from western Arnhem Land, aiming to highlight how their lives inform and enrich our understanding of Contact Rock Art. By addressing questions about the identities of these artists, the themes they explored in their paintings, the relation to where these paintings are emplaced, and the contexts—temporal and spatial—in which they created their work, we seek to deepen the dialogue surrounding Aboriginal cultural responses to colonialism.
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© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/.