Part two; Vanishing Cultures & Tradition - rare photos of ceremonial & tribal Aboriginals from Arnhem Land, Australia.
The story behind the photos… Tribal Aboriginals from their sacred land in Arnhem Land to rare ancient rock art & burial ceremonies. (Part two)
Dreamtime… tribal elder, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Seldom seen images that date back some 30 years, shot on Kodachrome and Ektachrome film, way before the digital age.
Going back in time…Dreamtime “forgotten” cultures and tradition of the Australian Aborigines,
Part two. Arnhem Land Northern Territory.
Please remember that I can't show all the photos I have in my archives, and I also had to keep the text brief, otherwise I end up with a Book.
There were many more images I saw, but could NOT record them in respect for the Aboriginals and their believes, recorded only with my eyes, but the memory still lives very deep inside of me.
“At times I am very contend to take home the memory, instead of pursuing the image, this in turn will gain you respect.”-GD-
Tribal elder in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
During the mid 80th I visited Arnhem Land and Kakadu National Park many times, and during the cause of my visits became friends with some Aboriginal tribal elders. I am grateful for their spiritual guidance that I got to know some places seldom visited by others.
But even more important, I learned how to take care of our environment and only take from the land what is needed to survive.
I like to thank my dear old friend “Nipper” for his friendship and trust for allowing me into areas normally not visited by any outsiders.
Hunting in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Australia's Aboriginal culture probably represents the oldest surviving culture in the world, with the use of stone tool technology and painting with red ochre pigment dating back over 60,000 years.
Arnhem Land is strictly an Aboriginal Reserve located next to Kakadu National Park in the tropical north of Australia. Travel to outside persons is restricted and visitors must obtain an entry permit.
Mysterious Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
There are no paved roads and getting around is difficult most of the time but in particular during the wet season when rivers swell and flood the swampy marches. The rivers, swamps and billabongs are also abundant with the large Australian Salt Water Crocodiles and care should be taken when camping near waterways.
An alternative to Arnhem Land is to visit Kakadu National park, which is more accessible, and the Aboriginals left their mark here too, in particular at Obirri Rock, a fantastic gallery of detailed ancient rock art. Or a visit to the spectacular Jim Jim and Twin Waterfalls along the Arnhem Land Escarpment is just breathtaking.
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
The Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) is a tall long-necked wading bird in the stork family. It is a resident species across south and southeast Asia with a large population in Australia and is very common at “Yellow Waters” in Kakadu National Park.
A visit to Yellow Waters in Kakadu National Park is a must once in the area, a swamp (flood plains) with its amazing variety and abundant of wildlife, huge congregation of water fowls, white breasted sea eagles on trees, monitor lizards and saltwater crocodiles that make this area a haven for wildlife photographers.
The Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory have left a great legacy of their culture in the form of art that can be found in caves and rock overhangs where it is protected from the elements. One of the richest of these areas is in Kakadu National Park, the traditional lands of the Gagudju people, in the Top End, west Arnhem Land. There are superb examples of Rock Art in the galleries of Nourlangie Rock and Ubirr, where you can view them easily.
Selection of not so common rock-art in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Compared to the arid region in Central Australia, it comes as no surprise with such an abundance of wildlife in the area that in ancient times the aboriginal artist had a lot of motives for their rock art. The area is not only a source of food but played an important role in their spiritual life “The Dreamtime”.
Ubirr, or Obiri Rock for example in the north east of Kakadu, has some of the finest examples of "X-ray art" in the world. The artist not only painted the outside but also the bones and internal organs of the animals, mostly fish like barramundi, but also turtles, birds and reptiles.
A rare detailed painting of an unusual "Hand stencil", more of a
painting then the commonly found Hand stencils.
Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Hand Stencils are also common all over Australia and some can be dated to 50,000 years old. Aboriginal rock art was still being retouched during my visits in the 80th as seen in the photos from Arnhem Land, thus making it the world’s longest lasting artistic tradition at that time.
Aboriginal art in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Detailed Bark painting from Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Aboriginal rock art being retouched in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
A not so common rock-art in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Dreamtime… Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Rock-art in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
The “Ruined City” near the Roper River Aboriginal settlement in Arnhem Land is called also “ruined city of the Moon.” The Aboriginals call this place “Burrangie” the legendary home of giant people who live in the realm of dreamtime.
The “Ruined City” is considered and ultra-sacred Aboriginal site and is strictly off-limits to outsiders.
The "Ruined City" before sunrise in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
In the early 80th I was extremely lucky to gain permission from the tribal elders in visiting and exploring the area on foot for a couple of days. This is an amazing and eerie place and no wonder it is considered very sacred to the local Aboriginal tribe.
Burial Cave in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
After my visit to the “Ruined City” a burial ceremony took place a few days later at the Roper River aboriginal settlement and after some discussions with the Elders I was permitted to take part in this ceremony…well at least for the first part of the burial, an experience that I never forget.
As for the second part of the ceremony, the elders denied permission and no outsiders were allowed to take part, it is known as the most sacred part of the burial ceremony.
Burial ceremony Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Burial ceremony Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
This is another important time for ceremonies on the death of a person, when people paint themselves white as seen in my photos, cut their own bodies to show their remorse for the loss of their loved one, and conduct a series of rituals, songs and dances to ensure the person’s spirit leaves the area and returns to its birth place, from where it can later be reborn.
Burial ceremony Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Burial ceremony Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Bathurst Island, home of the Tiwi people, just of the coast of Darwin the capital of the Northern Territory. The facial and body painting of the people here have been described as the most colorful and elaborate of any Australian group.
Bathurst Island - The decorations essentially relate to the Tiwi people occasions for major ceremonies, for example the pukumani (mortuary or burial) by painting their bodies with white clay and pulling out their beards.
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
A deep red ochre is obtained from the oval polished red stones found on the beach, which are ground then mixed with water; yellow is obtained from a soft yellow ochre stone, also ground to a powder. (The Tiwi sometimes burn the yellow to produce red.) White is generally taken from a clay found all over the island, and black is obtained from charcoal.
Traditional food sources... Northern Territory, Australia
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Aboriginal women collecting fresh water turtles and File snakes in the vast swamps of the Northern Territory. (Freshwater streams and billabongs of the Northern Territory are home to the non-venomous file snakes; the Arafura file snake gets its name from its rough, baggy skin, which feels like a file. A nocturnal reptile, the Arafura file snake keeps in the shadows of overhanging trees during the day and forages for food during the night.)
Dingo running across the dry flood plains in
northern Australia, Northern Territory,
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
The Australian Dingo plays an important role in Aboriginal society but they did not arrive in Australia with the first aboriginals some 60,000 years ago as previously thought.
They arrived some 6000 years ago in Australia and were then adopted by the native aboriginals. Dingo bones first appear in faunal deposits between about 3500 and 4000 BP.
Please Note: The following LINKS provided me with some information on the Australian Aboriginals; they are also a good source for further and more detailed reading. Thank You!
GD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corroboree
http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-necked_Stork
http://ozoutback.com.au/Australia/rockartkakadu/index.html
http://www.janesoceania.com/australia_aboriginal_mythology/index1.htm
http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/religion.shtml
http://ozoutback.com.au/Australia/rockartkakadu/index.html
From about 40 thousand years ago to 2008…we still share our thoughts and ART… except in a different way but very much related to India and Aperture 2…a real Time Machine in Photography.
Creativity and Art has been around for thousands of years and yesterday I received an interesting email from Santosh Verma in Mumbai.
Santosh is a real nice and cool Photographer from Mumbai…well Santosh is not just anyone, he is an excellent and very creative Photographer plus a super nice guy.
I had the chance chatting with him during the Aperture 2 Event in Mumbai and we stayed in touch since. Santosh does some real amazing work, check out his website at
Digital Railroad @ www.digitalrailroad.net/photoeditor
© Santosh Verma - Mumbai India, “Color Printers recyceld”
With his email came this super cool shot (see above) and I just fell in love with it.
Now we are in 2008 and seeing images like this…very colorful and creative…so I decided to bring you Images which I took some 30 years ago…no Aperture and Photoshop then.
The images are related somehow, showing art in its oldest and most recent form, the Australian Aboriginals used to use earth color (Ochre) and paint on Tree bark or retouch 40 thousand year old paintings in caves…now it is Inkjet Printers that translate our artwork on to paper, an amazing contrast.
© Gunther Deichmann - painting Mimi Spirit figures on Tree bark,
Arnhem Land Northern Territory, Australia
© Gunther Deichmann - retouching old cave paintings or creating a new one,
seldom practiced today, deep in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
When I received the email from Santosh I was working on some old Australian Aboriginal images and that gave me the Idea to show the ancient and new way of reproducing our thoughts and Ideas…now that is contrast!
For restoring old images with Aperture 2 (one of my previous blogs) go to: GD Photo Tutorial @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/page1/page1.html
Enjoy the images and thanks to Santosh for letting me use his Image… see below his recent letter to me…I guess he is just about to move over to Aperture 2.
GD
Dear Gunther,
Just a note to say that your feature-the feature on you
-in the magazine looks great! I was so delighted with the way
it has come out. Hearty Congratulations Gunther.
And yes, I am persuaded to download the Aperture now,
the one you gave me, after reading so much of your blog and being
encouraged by how good it is.
I will first have to learn how to download stuff with it and then, how to
make the ' photoshoop' work on the RAW.
Don't be disappointed if I ask you for help in such elementary steps!
Oh yes! Nikon has loaned me a D3!!!! and I will be using it for the next
one week on a Test Drive!!!
Look forward to hearing from you and working like you Gunther.
Warm regards,
Santosh
