Speaker
Ray Norris
(Australia Telescope National Facility)
Description
Aboriginal people in Australia have a rich astronomical tradition with
stories about the Sun, Moon, and stars, revealing a depth and complexity
of pre-contact Aboriginal cultures which are not widely appreciated by
outsiders. Not only did they know the sky intimately, but they were
familiar with planetary motions, tides, and eclipses. Their songs and
stories show that Aboriginal Australians sought to understand their
Universe in a similar way to modern science. They used this knowledge of
the sky and land to construct songlines, enabling them to navigate
across the country, trading artefacts and sacred stories. In this talk I
will explore some of the wonderful mystic Aboriginal songs, stories, and
art, and how these were used to understand their world.
Primary author
Ray Norris
(Australia Telescope National Facility)
