The Dreaming

Aboriginal people have been living in Australia for over 60,000 years. Their culture is one of the oldest on earth.

We can learn a lot about the history of Australia from the Aboriginal people who still live there today. We can also learn about ancient Aboriginal people from the art and tools that they left behind.

Aboriginal people pass along their history through song, dance, art, and stories. This process is called the Dreaming. The Dreaming is a way to share from one generation to the next. It is a link from ancient times all the way until now.

Ancient Aboriginal people used stone tools. These have been found at sites around Australia. Historians think they used the tools to carve wood.

Cave paintings have also been found around Australia. Aboriginal people used red ochre to paint on rocks. These paintings were the beginnings of the Dreaming. They show how long Aboriginal people have been living in Australia.

Historians have also found something called a midden. It is a place where ancient Aboriginal people gathered to eat. There are piles of shells at the midden. The shells tell us that they ate seafood.

The sites where paintings, tools, and shells have been found are special. They are sacred to the Aboriginal people today. They should be preserved so that we can learn more about the history of Australia’s first people.