Composite Bone Black Kunwarddebim at Madjedbebe, the Alligator Rivers Regions, Northern Australia

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Unusually saturated black pigment in the Kunwarddebim (rock art) at the north-eastern end of the Madjedbebe rockshelter prompted an in situ analytic program of Raman and portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Here described results suggest a complex paint recipe for this black paint: a mix of bone black, magnetite rich minerals, and some organic components. We discuss this composite paint recipe in the broader context of the Mirrar Traditional Owners' rich record of continuous occupation that stretches some 65,000 years back in time.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 41708.0