Aboriginal Oral Traditions of Australian Impact Craters

2013/06/03 by Duane W. Hamacher, John Goldsmith, Hamacher, Duane W. +1 · 1 voice
Physics and Astronomy · #physics.hist-ph #physics.geo-ph #physics.soc-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1306.0278

Abstract

We explore Aboriginal oral traditions that relate to Australian meteorite craters. Using the literature, first-hand ethnographic records, and fieldtrip data, we identify oral traditions and artworks associated with four impact sites: Gosses Bluff, Henbury, Liverpool, and Wolfe Creek. Oral traditions describe impact origins for Gosses Bluff, Henbury, and Wolfe Creek craters and non-impact origins of Liverpool crater, with Wolfe Creek and Henbury having both impact and non-impact origins in oral tradition. Three impact sites that are believed to have formed during human habitation of Australia - Dalgaranga, Veevers, and Boxhole - do not have associated oral traditions that are reported in the literature.

Discussions

• Gosses Bluff, known as Tnorala, also holds my favourite Indigenous Australian oral story as well, as to how the crater formed. It's a bit of a sad story, but it really does showcase how the oral tradi [bsky, 23 points, 2 comments]

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