Symbols of Power: The Firearm Paintings of Madjedbebe (Malakunanja II)

Sally K May,Brad Manera,Joakim Goldhahn,Daryl Wesley,Mirani Litster

doi:10.1007/s10761-017-0393-6

Abstract

Depictions of firearms in Australian Aboriginal rock art provide a unique opportunity to archaeologically explore the roles that this type of material culture played in times of culture contact. From the earliest interactions with explorers to the buffalo shooting enterprises of the twentieth century—firearms played complex and shifting roles in western Arnhem Land Aboriginal societies. The site of Madjedbebe (sometimes referred to as Malakunanja II in earlier academic literature) in Jabiluka (Mirarr Country), offers the opportunity to explore these shifting roles over time with an unprecedented 16 paintings of firearms spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This rock art provides evidence for early firearms as objects of curiosity and threat to local groups, as well as evidence for later personal ownership and use of such weaponry. Moreover, we argue that the rock art suggests increasing incorporation of firearms into traditional cultural belief and artistic systems over time with Madjedbebe playing a key role in the communication of the cultural meanings behind this new subject matter.

Highlights

Firearms are one of the most universally recognized symbols of power, conflict and status in Western society
While a long tradition of depicting weapons in rock art is evident across Arnhem Land, newly introduced firearm motifs painted during the contact period illustrate the significance of these objects to local Aboriginal people and the complex relationship between object, artist, and society
There is significant overlap in the chronological periods owing to a number of factors including (a) the timing of historical explorations and settlements in northern Australia that limited the periods when culture contact was possible, (b) the firearms depicted can stay in circulation and use for long periods of time, and (c) some of the identification elements of different firearm types persisted throughout the nineteenth century

Summary

Introduction

Firearms are one of the most universally recognized symbols of power, conflict and status in Western society. In this paper we use a newly documented rock art assemblage of firearms painted at one of Australia’s oldest occupation sites—Madjedbebe (formerly Malakunanja II), to explore the complex role that firearms played in Aboriginal society and the artist’s possible motivations for depicting them in large numbers at this particular place.

Results

Conclusion