Aboriginal message sticks are a fascinating insight into a complex system of written communication

arts, ideas & societyanalysisThe Conversation: Arts + Culture (US)

Aboriginal message sticks are a fascinating insight into a complex system of written communication

the gist

Aboriginal message sticks are hand-carved wooden objects used to send messages across long distances in Australia. Their symbols, such as lines, dots, concentric circles, cross-hatching and animal tracks, carry meaning that depends on the region and context. Each stick was delivered by a messenger who spoke the words that gave the symbols their full meaning, so the object and the spoken message worked together. Pictographic systems like these resemble early writing in ancient Egypt and Aztec Mesoamerica, and scholars argue that they should be recognised as a form of written communication rather than dismissed as lacking writing.

so what

The example challenges the idea that writing must be alphabetic, showing that many societies developed systems of visual communication. Recognising message sticks as a sophisticated system adds to a wider reassessment of how Indigenous knowledge has been judged.

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background

A message stick is a public communication device traditionally used by Indigenous Australians. Although styles vary, they are generally oblong lengths of wood with motifs engraved on all sides. Message sticks were carried by designated messengers across political borders to coordinate movements of people, request resources, issue demands, and negotiate alliances. Message sticks are non-restricted since they were intended to be seen by others, often from a distance. They are nonetheless frequently mistaken for tjurungas. The term 'message stick' is also sometimes applied to similar objects made by Indigenous people of North America, housed in the Peabody Museum Harvard and the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Berkeley. The term is also used to refer to a similar system of communication used by the Punan people of Borneo.

From Wikipedia: Message stick (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗ · text CC BY-SA 4.0

see

The National Museum of Australia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

K. Langloh Parker of book, no assignation of artist(s), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Orderinchaos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Conversation

Illustrative photo · The National Museum of Australia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

source: The Conversation: Arts + Culture (US) ↗

politics

Trump and Netanyahu reportedly clash over whether to resume military action against Iran

the gist

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

so what

The United States and Israel have been closely aligned on Iran's nuclear programme and regional threats, so open disagreement between their leaders over military strategy is unusual and closely watched. Whether to resume strikes is a decision with consequences for shipping, oil markets and the wider Middle East.

fun fact

Benjamin Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel for more years in total than any other person.

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Data: GDELT Project

Illustrative photo · Israel Belkind and Fanny Abramovitch (original) “The Provis…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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supplementary video · Epimetheus on YouTube ↗

world cultures & travelWikivoyageclassic9th–15th century · Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth, covering about 3,000 square kilometres

the gist

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.

how it works

The Khmer kings built enormous rectangular reservoirs that caught monsoon rain during the wet season. Earthen dykes and canals moved that water into rice paddies, so farmers could grow crops across much of the year. The surplus food supported craftsmen, builders and the workforce that raised the temples.

so what

Angkor shows how a society without industrial machinery could build a city on a scale that rivals modern metropolises, using engineering and water management instead. Some historians link its decline to drought, flooding and shifts in its water systems, which makes it a long-running case study in how cities depend on managing water. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The outline of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of Cambodia.