Aboriginal astronomical sites, landscapes and paintings

Ragbir Bhathal and Terry Mason pick out astronomical observations from the rich and complex Aboriginal cultures of Australia. The 2009 International Year of Astronomy sparked a growing desire in several countries to investigate the ancient astronomy of their lands. In particular, there is great interest in representations of the sky and/or celestial objects in paintings in caves or on bark, engravings on rock surfaces, stone arrangements and geological features. Australia has a rich heritage of Aboriginal representations of the cosmos which goes back more than 40 000 years. In that long period of time the Aboriginal people have built an astronomical knowledge system that pervades the social fabric of their society.