NEW MURUJUGA ROCK ART RESEARCH SHOWS PETROGLYPHS DEGRADING OVER TIME

A figure from the new research paper on the Murujuga rock art showing flaking of a fish petroglyph. This petroglyph is located near a road that was previously used by open-topped haulage trucks to transport salt. Researchers believe the flaking was likely caused by salt blown from the trucks.

BY GERARD MAZZA.

A new study from leading rock art scientists uses visual evidence to suggest the Murujuga rock art on the Burrup Peninsula has decayed due to industrial activity.

UWA World Rock Art Professor and lead author Benjamin Smith said the new study reinforced previous geochemical research which showed acids from Woodside and Yara’s industrial facilities could degrade the ancient petroglyphs on the Burrup.

“We’ve digitised a whole load of old rock art images,” Professor Smith said.

“We’ve gone back to the archives and found early images of the rock art from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and we’ve compared those with what the rocks look like today. And we’ve seen quite radical change.”

Researchers assessed 26 petroglyphs, fifty per cent of which showed indications of damage.

A Woodside spokesperson said the company is currently reviewing the research and “takes its responsibility to protect and manage cultural heritage seriously.”

The spokesperson said the methodology used in the new study was not a reliable means of determining whether industrial emissions had caused damage.

Professor Smith said different strands of evidence, including geochemistry and visual analysis, when considered together could show threats to the Murujuga rock art.

He said his current research focus is examining the microbiology of the rocks.

“There’s three different areas that we’re looking at, and we’ll release the findings for each one,” he said.

“It’s not that you can take any one in isolation, but all three together support each other and give us a very complete picture of what’s going on with the rock art of Murujuga.

“We’ll let the science talk.”