Before Farming: the archaeology and anthropology of hunter-gatherers

Rock art threatened in Australia's Dampier Archipelago

What may be the world's largest concentration of petroglyphs is threatened by a multi-billion dollar industrial development. The Dampier Archipelago in the Pilbara region of northwestern Australia is home not only to the petroglyphs but also a major corpus of standing stones, similar to the megalithic monuments of Europe and the largest such occurrence in Australia. This outstanding heritage is threatened by the proposed extension of an existing industrial complex which would result in 38% of the area being annexed by petrochemical and other plants. The problem does not end there: at present levels of atmospheric pollution most of the petroglyphs will disappear during the latter half of the 21st century, but if the emissions are trebled as a result of this proposed development - which is supported by the Western Australian Government - the process will be accelerated and it is predicted that the rock art will begin to disappear by around 2030.

The owners of the rock art - the Aboriginal people of the region - are joined by scientists, conservators, conservationists and the local shire council in opposing current development plans. They do not oppose the development in principle but Maitland on the mainland is their preferred site for the development and even one of the companies involved, Methanex Australia P/L, reportedly prefers the Maitland option for logistical reasons.

The International Federation of Rock Art Organisations* (IFRAO) is calling on the Western Australian Government to protect the Dampier rock art and implement a management plan for the Archipelago after proper consultation with all parties. If you want to add your weight to the struggle to save hundreds of thousands of rock art images which have survived intact for tens of thousands of years, visit the following web site where you may sign an online petition as well as reading more about the threatened art.

http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/users/dampier/

*IFRAO is a federation of 39 national and regional organisations promoting the study and protection of rock art throughout the world.

The Editor thanks Robert Bednarik for bringing this issue to our attention.