Rock Art Research
ROCK PAINTINGS OF MUA ISLAND: INITIAL RESULTS FROM WESTERN TORRES STRAIT
(1)
Program for Australian Indigenous Archaeology, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Australia
(2)
Program for Australian Indigenous Archaeology, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Australia
(3)
Program for Australian Indigenous Archaeology, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Australia
(4)
The Mualgal (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation, Kubin Community Council, Australia
Abstract
Rock art studies in Torres Strait have received little attention. The Mua Island rock art project, a joint research endeavour between university archaeologists and the indigenous Islander community, aims to document known and previously unknown rock art sites on Mualgal traditional lands. This paper presents data obtained from systematic documentation of five rock art sites on the island using digital technology and computer enhancement techniques. It is part of a larger Torres Strait regional study, which seeks to examine long-term inter-regional interactions and social processes between southern Papua, Torres Strait and Cape York through temporal and spatial analyses of artistic conventions.