- Age-old Aussie mystery finally solved
- Ring formations created by indigenous communities
A 1,400-year-old archaeological mystery has just been solved, giving researchers a deeper insight into Aboriginal culture.
Scientists say bizarre-looking rings on the outskirts of Melbourne have nothing to do with aliens, but were created by the local Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people just as the Mycenaean era began in ancient Greece.
The large rings found in Sunbury have long been a mystery, as have similar rings found in Britain and Cambodia.
It is believed that ancient people excavated and compacted soil to form large circles hundreds of feet in diameter.
It is estimated that more than 400 rings once existed in NSW and Queensland, but only about 100 remain today after many were destroyed following European colonization.
They also have significant cultural and historical importance to Aboriginal groups.
Elders of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung culture explained that they reflect on the occupation, colonization, self-determination, adaptation and resilience of the people.
The mystery of the mysterious rings found in Australia has been solved
Sunbury locals have often wondered about the bizarre looking rings in their neighborhood
Scientists behind the study, published in Australian Archaeology, said that while previous research indicated the rings were sacred sites, not much had been documented from cultural values ​​and landscape perspectives.
They now argue that understanding the Earth's rings involved knowing Aboriginal culture's understanding of the land and the effect their ancestors had on the region.
Aboriginal people of the time cleared land and plants while scraping soil and rocks to create the ring mound.
Stones were arranged by layering stones, as the published findings indicated that campfires would be lit, while stone tools would be used to move things around the ring.
One theory is that they could have been used on plants and animals and possibly also used to scar human skin during ceremonies.
The scientists said that while the 'Sunbury Rings' and its purpose may have faded, they still provide insight into the cultural importance of the area, which has been passed down from generation to generation.
The researchers claimed that the results brought together the insights of Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people on the cultural landscape of biik wurrda.
They claimed it also contained archaeological evidence for cultural fire, knocking, movement, trampling and tool use.
In 2020, archaeologists discovered the oldest known underwater Aboriginal archaeological sites off the Pilbara coast of Western Australia.
Hundreds of stone artifacts, including grinding stones and grinding stones, were found at depths of up to 2.4 meters.
The sites were flooded by rising seas between 18,000 and 8,000 years ago.
