Aboriginal artifacts include things like clubs, spears, and spear throwers know as woomera, boomerang, dillybags, shields, hairpins, carved shells know as Lonka Lonka or Riji and other amongst an assortment of other items made by Aboriginal Australians. The artifacts are often broadly categorized, so they would include weapons, ritual objects, and everyday items. Many of the items or artifacts clearly show that they designed and made to help them (aboriginal people) live in what is a very harsh environment.
Sacred Items
Aborigines were known for their various rituals which were often performed in time of need. Art was used as a mediator between humans and supernatural forces. So, art was not merely created for the sake of art, it served a particular purpose. Aboriginal artifacts include items used for magic and sorcery.
Some of the best known sacred items include Churinga also known as Tjuringa which are carved boards used at religious ceremonies along with the didgeridoo, hairpins, carved shells and bullroarers.
Interestingly the majority of aboriginal art isn’t considered to be an artifact since often these designs in Aboriginal art were similar to the original sacred artefacts. Today aboriginal art is sought for decoration.
Commonly Used
Items commonly used aboriginal artifacts include dilly bags, coolamons, bark baskets, stone axes, stone knives, digging sticks, etc. The items were used to gather food, and a couple were also used during ceremonial occasions.
Commonly and Lesser Used Weapons
Aboriginal weapons include spears, a variety of shields, boomerangs, clubs, etc. However, various tribes had their own weapons, which were, at times, different from all the others. For instance, some tribes fought with boomerangs and shields, while others would use clubs and shields.
The style of weapons also varied from one area to the next. Take a commonly used shield in Central Australia and compared it to the one used in North Queensland, and the differences are instantly apparent.
Do You Have an Interesting Aboriginal Artifact?
We are very interested in aboriginal artifacts and the stories they tell. Marc Pinto is a professional art collector and dealer and has been collecting aboriginal artifacts for years. He continues to add new and interesting pieces to his collection. Marc continues to invite people who have interesting or rare pre 60’s aboriginal artifacts they would like to sell.
You’ll see an online form below, which allows you to send pictures and a description of the artifact in question. All queries go directly to Marc Pinto, who then evaluates the item to estimate the item’s value. You can also send queries via WhatsApp using this number 0411866227.
Info source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Aboriginal_artefacts