Aussie

Ancient Australia

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In Ancient Australia (also called the Prehistory of Australia), the first people to live in Australia arrived between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago. They came from Asia and had dark skin and black hair. Most of them were hunter-gatherers (people who hunt animals and collect plants to eat) and nomadic. This meant that they walked around from place to place and did not make cities.

There were two main types of people living in Australia - the Aborigines and the Torres Strait Islanders. Together they are called Indigenous Australians. The Torres Strait Islanders lived in the north-east and the Aborigines lived everywhere else. They lived in separate tribes and each tribe had its own language and traditions. They also thought that families were very important.

Religion

They had a strong religion They believed that everything had come from the Dreamtime and that the earth was sacred. They believed that spirits such as the Rainbow Serpent had made the world. The religion was passed on from parents to children and their culture is famous for its oral history. They practiced their religion in the form of corroborees. These were important dances and songs about their religion. They worshiped many gods.

Art

The Aboriginal people did not know writing but they painted pictures on rocks and bark. They used paint that they made from crushed rocks and water in colours like brown, red, orange, and yellow. They used symbols (simple pictures) to mean different things and could draw stories with them. Their art is famous for using dots and handprints.

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