Recorded Accounts of Meteoritic Events in the Oral Traditions of Indigenous Australians

Archaeoastronomy – The Journal of Astronomy in Culture, Vol. 25, preprint. Recorded Accounts of Meteoritic Events in the Oral Traditions of Indigenous Australians Duane W. Hamacher Nura Gili Indigenous Programs, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia Email: [email protected] Abstract Descriptions of natural events, such as fireballs and meteorite impacts, are found within Indigenous Australian oral traditions. Studies of oral traditions demonstrate that they extend beyond the realm of myth and legend; they contain structured knowledge about the natural world (science) as well as historic accounts of natural events and geo-hazards. These traditions could lead to the discovery of meteorites and impact sites previously unknown to Western science. In addition to benefiting the scientific study of meteoritics, this study can help social scientists better understand the nature and longevity of oral traditions and further support the growing body of evidence that oral traditions contain historical accounts of natural events. In a previous study led by the author in 2009, no meteorite-related oral traditions were identified that led to the discovery of meteorites and/or impact craters. This paper challenges those initial findings. Warning to Aboriginal Readers: This paper contains the names of Aboriginal people who have passed away. Keywords: Indigenous Australians; meteorites; geomythology; oral traditions; history of meteoritics; cultural astronomy. INTRODUCTION geomythology provides important insights into how natural events are The study of meteoritic phenomena in understood and incorporated into oral Indigenous oral traditions has been a traditions, as well as providing direct topic of research interest for several methods for dating oral traditions. years, particularly in Australia (see Bevan and Bindon 1996; Goldsmith Hamacher and Norris (2009) published 2000, Hamacher 2011, Hamacher and a treatise on meteorite falls and impact Goldsmith 2013, Hamacher and Norris events in Indigenous Australian oral 2009, 2010, 2011a). Research in the traditions. One of the main goals of the growing discipline of geomythology - a research was to determine if meteoritic close cousin of ethnoastronomy - events were recorded in oral tradition involves investigating oral traditions for and whether these traditions would lead descriptions of past geologic events to the (re)discovery of meteorites and (Vitaliano 1973) that may provide impact structures previously unknown insight into both the culture that to Western science. In the 2009 study, observed and recorded them, and for no oral traditions accounts were found information about the event that might that led to the discovery of meteorites or contribute to our understanding of craters. Additionally, no oral traditions geological phenomena. The study of were identified from Queensland or 1 Archaeoastronomy – The Journal of Astronomy in Culture, Vol. 25, preprint. Victoria except for an account of legitimize Indigenous oral traditions, as Aboriginal people interacting with one they do not need to be validated or of the Cranbourne meteorites near legitimized. Instead, this study tests Melbourne and a possible account of a three hypotheses: meteorite fall in the Torres Strait. No evidence at the time connected any of 1. Indigenous oral traditions the Indigenous traditions of impact contain historical accounts of events to known impact sites. meteoritic events; 2. Indigenous oral traditions can Research since 2009 reveals more lead to the identification of Indigenous accounts of meteoritic meteorite falls and impact events from across Australia, craters previously unknown to particularly Queensland and Victoria. Western Science; and Analysis reveals that meteorites and 3. Scientific studies of these falls craters recorded in oral tradition were and/or craters can help us later verified by Western science. understand the nature and longevity of Indigenous oral The purpose of this study – like the traditions. 2009 study – is not to validate or Name State Latitude Longitude Type Found Benyeo VIC −38.283 141.616 Carnarvon WA −24.884 113.657 Helidon Springs QLD −27.549 152.099 Henbury NT −24.572 133.148 IIIA 1931 Lake Argyle WA −16.361 128.748 Lake Macquarie NSW −32.995 151.600 Lilydale VIC −37.769 145.341 Monte Colina SA −29.400 139.983 L3 1963 Munpeowie SA −29.583 139.900 IC 1909 Narraburra NSW −34.367 147.878 IIIB 1855 Saibai QLD −09.381 142.615 Table 1: Places described in the results, including the name, location, meteorite and year found (if known). Meteorite locations, types, and years found from Bevan (1992). RESULTS both a location and description of the event. These are then analysed to Using the methodologies of the determine if they support of reject the Hamacher and Norris (2009) study, this hypotheses described above. The paper reveals eight oral traditions that locations of each account (Table 1) are describe meteoritic events and three used to determine if any meteorites minor accounts that describe meteoric were recovered from the region using phenomena or the presence of a Bevan (1992), Gibbons (1977), Grady meteorite by Indigenous people. Each of (2000), and (Meteoritical Society 2013). these accounts are recorded in the literature as having special significance Places mentioned in the text are shown to Indigenous Australians, providing on a map of Australia in Figure 4, with 2 Archaeoastronomy – The Journal of Astronomy in Culture, Vol. 25, preprint. those mentioned in the Torres Strait (including the Kaitish and Warramunga) shown in Figure 1 (in order of their hold traditions that meteors are fiery appearance in the paper). “debil-debils” that hurtle from the skies to feast upon the entrails of the recently Henbury Meteorites Conservation deceased (Hill 1937). Reserve, Northern Territory In March 1932, an unnamed resident of In the 2009 study by the author the area undertook independent research (Hamacher and Norris 2009:66-67), and spoke to local Aboriginal elders. there was little evidence that the According to the elders, all young formation of the Henbury crater field, Aboriginal people were forbidden from which occurred < 4,700 years BP, was going near the craters. The elders recorded in oral tradition. The only described them as the place where “a suggestion was in the name (chindu fiery devil ran down from the sun and china waru chingi yabu, roughly made his home in the Earth. The devil translating to “sun walk fire devil will kill and eat any bad blackfellows,” rock”), which vaguely suggested a (see Hamacher and Goldsmith living memory of the event. Recent 2013:300-301). research by Hamacher and Goldsmith (2013:299-303) uncovered additional These varied (but similar) accounts, records relating to Aboriginal views of recorded over a period of 10 years, the site and these records clearly seem to confirm the presence of an oral indicate a living memory of the impact tradition describing the impact recorded in oral traditions. formation of the craters. There is the question of cultural contamination, i.e. The name “chindu china waru chingi colonial scientific interest in the site yabu” is of the Luritja language. influencing Aboriginal traditions, but Historical documents give more there is no evidence that this occurred. information about Aboriginal views of The consistency of the traditions over the site. When James M. Mitchell the 10-year time period in which they visited the site in 1921, he took an were recorded supports the hypothesis Aboriginal guide. His interest was that the traditions were pre-colonial, but piqued when his guide refused to go we cannot know either way for certain. near them, saying that it was a place By 1945, colonial interest in the craters where a fire “debil-debil” [devil] came led to Aboriginal people collecting and out of the sky and killed everything in selling pieces of the “star that fell to the vicinity. He visited the craters again Earth” (Vox 1945), indicating outside in 1934 and took another Aboriginal influence by this point. guide with him. The guide said Aboriginal people would not camp These accounts stand in contrast to within two miles of the craters or even claims in the literature that no oral venture within half a mile of them, traditions of the Henbury impact can be describing them as a place where the found and that the crater field was of no fire-devil lived. He claimed they did not interest to local Aboriginal people collect water that filled some of the (Alderman 1932, Anonymous 1934). craters, fearing the fire devil would fill The current evidence indicates that them with a piece of iron. The guide Aboriginal people witnessed the event, said his grandfather saw the fire devil recorded the incident in oral traditions, and it came from the sun. Aboriginal and those traditions remained intact groups to the north of Henbury through the 1930s (and possibly later). 3 Archaeoastronomy – The Journal of Astronomy in Culture, Vol. 25, preprint. Narraburra, New South Wales stone were believed to be corrosion pits that developed during its long exposure The Narraburra meteorite (aka Yeo to the Earth’s atmosphere. Using cosmic Yeo), is a 32.2 kg octahedrite found ray exposure, Chang and Wanke (1969) near Stockinbingal, NSW in 1855 estimated the duration of this exposure (Hodge-Smith 1939:23). According to to be between 150,000 and 340,000 Henry Chamberlain Russell, who served years (see also Buchwald, 1975:876). as the Government Astronomer from 1870-1905, the ox-skull-shaped According to Russell (via Gale), the meteorite was found lying on hard, discovery of the Narraburra (Yeo Yeo) stony ground by a Mr. O’Brien (first- meteorite was based on Aboriginal oral name not given), then passed on to tradition, and the tradition claims that Patrick Herald, then to Russell in 1890 people witnessed its fall. While it is (Russell 1890:82). The word fairly certain that Aboriginal people Narraburra is from a Wiradjuri would have witnessed meteorite falls Aboriginal dialect meaning “rough and developed traditional stories these country” (Thorpe and McCarthy events, this is one of the few recorded 1958:18).

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