Saving earth and rock rings from ubiquitous bulldozers
Cultural landscapes and braided knowledge
Building a more holistic understanding of people, place and Country
"Aboriginal rings are circular, earth (or rock) features that are preserved at increasingly fewer locations across eastern Australia today."
"Braided knowledge approaches build authentic, respectful and reciprocal partnerships with Indigenous community that involve their participation in all aspects."
"...Braided knowledge approaches are lacking from studies of large, circular features known as Aboriginal earth (or rock) rings in Australia. These rings are only known to occur in Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria. It is estimated that over 400 rings once existed in NSW and Queensland, but only a quarter remain today (Bowdler Citation2001). Many rings were destroyed following European colonisation, and land development, and those that do remain are vulnerable and fragile (Marks Citation1968; Ponosov Citation1965:69–70; Strong Citation2016; see also Bashta Citation2016). The word bora has been adopted broadly from the language of the Gamilaroi people of NSW and southern Queensland to describe both rings and associated ceremonies across eastern Australia (Fuller et al. Citation2013:30)."
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Spry, C., Freedman, D. L., Hayes, E., Hitchcock, G., Morrison, W., … Mullins, B. (2025). New braided knowledge understandings of an Aboriginal earth ring and biik wurrdha (Jacksons Creek, Sunbury) on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country, southeastern Australia. Australian Archaeology, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/03122417.2024.2428019
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