Early Aboriginal Culture

Early Australian Aborigines were hunter-gatherers who practiced no farming techniques and kept no domestic animals. They had limited weapons, mostly made of wood and stone, to help them acquire their food. As in many other communities around the world, the men were the predominant hunters, killing large and small animals such as wallabies, emus and kangaroos. Women made an equal contribution by gathering vegetables, fruits, roots and small game like snakes.

Ira Block/Getty Images Most Aboriginal weapons were made from stone or wood. This spear is made of stone and is reminiscent of the weapons used in ancient times.

Aboriginal Appearance Due to their isolation, Aborigines haven't changed much in appearance since their arrival in Australia. Both ancient and modern Aborigines have dark skin and hair, which tends to be fairly straight or wavy. Their eyes are deep-set, and the brow ridge hangs over the eye sockets. Their nose is typically broad and separated from the brow by a deep groove. A wide mouth and full lips spread up into dominant cheekbones. There is one change that seems to have taken place: Aborigines of the past were tall, slender and lean. The Aborigines of today tend to have a stockier, wider build.

In coastal areas, both men and women dove for shellfish. They also used fibers and ropes to make baskets to catch fish. Coastal aborigines developed a type of boat that looked like a flattened canoe. Because they were made of brush and bark, these boats would become waterlogged after a period of time. After only a few miles, they would begin to disintegrate altogether.

As we discussed in the last section, the ancient Aborigines worshipped their land, and they did everything they could to protect it. In order to preserve the land and its resources, most tribes slept on the ground with no shelter. They hunted only what they needed to eat and gathered only the plants and roots they needed to sustain themselves. According to Aboriginal beliefs, the spirits assigned the land itself to the various tribes. Because of this, there were no territorial wars -- if people were on land that didn't belong to their tribe, they would begin to feel the spirits' angry energy, and bad things would begin to happen.

For most of their existence, Aborigines also wore no clothes, which is amazing considering how cold parts of the continent can get in the winter. In the colder regions, men and women might keep themselves warm by draping themselves in animal pelts that were sewn together. In other areas, they might use what they could find, like animal fat or a clay called ocher, to protect their skin. Women often made necklaces using materials like shells. Their bodies were often canvasses, with charcoal and ocher used as paint.

Pete Turner/Getty Images The features of this Aboriginal man are typical of the race.

­Music and dance were a large part of the culture, as was storytelling. Elders used all three to tell the stories of the dreamings, give thanks to the spirits and even ask favors like increased fertility or rain. They also created musical instruments, the most famous being the didgeridoo. The creation of a didgeridoo begins when termites hollow out the inside of a piece of wood, and Aborigines cut the size down to five feet. When played, the didgeridoo produces a low hum caused by vibrations. Various tribes use it in formal ceremonies and events.­

Paul Souders/Getty Images An Aboriginal man plays a didgeridoo in Sydney, Australia.

The Aborigines kept it up this peaceful way of life for more then 40,000 years. But that all changed once the Europeans colonized Australia.