JACK EVANS:
Some say it was created by aliens. Others say it was a sight of ancient rituals and sacrifices. But most people in the know reckon that Stonehenge was actually one massive star map. And while there are still some arguments about its purpose, one thing everyone agrees on is its age. Stonehenge is old, like 7,000 years old, which would make it the oldest known astronomy site in the world.
But here in Australia, some scientists think that these stones could prove that Indigenous people actually created their own astronomical site, thousands of years earlier than that. The egg shaped ring of stones is known as the Wurdi Youang stone arrangement. It's located in Wathaurung country, which is near Ballarat in Victoria, and the scientists say it might be more than 11,000 years old, which would make the Wathaurung people, the world's first astronomers.
The Wurdi Youang stone arrangement seems to map the different setting positions of the sun throughout the year. That would show the changing of seasons, allowing the Wathaurung people to identify when certain foods were available. You can think of it like an ancient calendar, but Australia's Indigenous people use the skies for more than just that. They were also used for storytelling, for example, while most Western cultures know this group of stars as the saucepan. For the Yolngu people in the Northern Territory, it's known as Djulpan or the Canoe. It tells the story of three brothers who went fishing. All they could catch were kingfish. But because they were from the Nulkal clan, which means Kingfish, they weren't allowed to eat any of them. One of the brothers became so hungry he ate one anyway. Walu, the sun woman saw this and got angry, so she created a water spout that lifted them right up into the sky where they stayed forever. Other Indigenous groups saw the stars differently. Instead of using the stars to map shapes, they used the dark spaces between them like the emu in the sky, which is used by various East Coast aboriginal groups and is located right next to the southern cross.
Scientists are still studying Wurdi Youang stone site to uncover more proof about its age. And at the same time, they're working with traditional owners to better understand Wathaurung astronomy and the amazing world-firsts they might have achieved.
