In personal readings of a rock art study by McDonald and Clayton, I have discovered something particularly fascinating about Australian Aboriginal rock art. A site not dissimilar to Djulirri in the Kimberley region features 'Gwion Gwion,' or stylized humanoid figures -- in these, anthropologists suspect we find the "earliest date for spears in Australia, and the earliest date for boomerangs and spear-throwers anywhere in the world."

This is extremely interesting, and it really helps give me a perspective on just how old the rock art can really be. There are pieces suspected to date back 20,000+ years -- but, understandably, this is very difficult to conceptualize. Having a clear benchmark in "the origin of spears in Australia" has helped me contextualize the truly, truly ancient nature of these works, and given me a better appreciation for their anthropological significance.

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