PRE-ESTUARINE

50,000 years ago. From this date, haematite and red and yellow ochres were used to prepare pigment

Objects Imprints

Hand prints, imprints of grass and thrown objects

20,000 years ago     Naturalistic

Large naturalistic figures complex

Extinct megafauna; thylacine; Tasmanian devil; terrestial animals; rock python; freshwater crocodiles; human beings; earliest x-ray paintings

Dynamic Figures

Human beings in complex apparel; anthropomorphs; zoomorphs;terrestial animals; freshwater fish; stencils: had of 3MF convention; boomerangs;one-piece multibarbed spears; detailed compostions

Stylisation

Post dynamic figures

Human beings in headdresses; public aprons and bustles; macropods; lizards; fighting pick/hooked stick introduced

Schematisation

Simple figures with boomerangs

Human beings in headdresses; public aprons and bustles; conflict; fighting pick; single and multiple pronged barbded composite spears; possible spearthrower

Stylisation

Mountford figures

Human figures (many elongated); spearthrower

Naturalistic symbolism

Yam figures

Anthropomorphised yams; phytomorphised animals; Rainbow Snake; ibis; egret; short necked turtle; flying fox; long arm prawn; segmented circle symbol

Estaurine   8000 years ago

Naturalistic

Early estaurine complex

Estaurine fish; barramundi; mullet; catfish; saltwater crocodile; variety of spearthrowers