In a surprising new development, the extensive bushfires that recently ravaged Australia have now uncovered extensive ancient water channels that were built by indigenous Australians thousands of years ago for harvesting eels. The bushfires burned and destroyed large tracts of vegetation in the state of Victoria only to reveal additional sections of waterways that spread across the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape which was recently added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites last July.
UNESCO considers the Budj Bim Cultural landscape as one of the most extensive and oldest aquaculture systems in the world. Consisting of channels, weirs, and dams built from volcanic rocks, it was constructed by the Gunditjmara more than 6,600 years ago making it effectively older than the pyramids of Egypt.
Burned tracts of vegetation have uncovered several new waterways not seen before
The aquatic system is not new; it was already known to archaeologists some time ago and was even declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in July. But what is ironical is that the fires that blazed through the state in December burned out the vegetation revealing several new water channels that had never been seen before.
In an interview with CNN, Gunditjmara representative Denis Rose, project manager at non-profit group Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, said that the water system is much larger than what had been recorded before.
“When we returned to the area, we found a channel hidden in the grass and other vegetation. It was about 25 meters (82 feet) in length, which was a fairly substantial size, It was a surprise continually finding new ones that the fires revealed,” Rose said.
New water channels are continuously surfacing
In fact, Rose said that they were now continually finding new channels and ponds that have surfaced in the aftermath of the conflagration. While any discovery is exciting, this is one particular instance where a discovery has come in the wake of the country’s worst national disaster in perhaps its history. One only wishes it was in better circumstances that would have elated scientists no end.
The Aboriginal Corporation’s website says that the Budj Bim aquaculture system was built by indigenous people using volcanic rocks that were abundantly found in the area. The system was used by the Gunditjmara people to redirect and modify waterways for maximum aquaculture yield mostly for harvesting eels. The website also said “The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape bears exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions, knowledge, practices and ingenuity of the Gunditjmara,”
Who are the Gunditjmara
The fire that struck the national park in late December was caused by a lightning strike. It grew to a conflagration spreading over 3 square miles in size according to Mark Mellington, district manager for Forest Fire Management Victoria. Local groups were roped in to identify culturally important areas that firefighters worked day and night to save form the ravaging flames. Various techniques were used from minimizing the impact of the fire to protect the cultural site from extensive damage.
The Gunditjmara are part of several indigenous groups that at one time resided in what is now the southern part of Victoria State before European settlements came there. Their population numbered in thousands before the 1800s but that was significantly reduced after the arrival of Europeans.
Rose expressed relief that the fires did not do as much damage in comparison to other parts of the country and now hopes that this will be a good opportunity for further exploration. He said plans are on to conduct a comprehensive cultural heritage survey to find out and record the new regions and waterways uncovered by the fires. He also said, “it’s important because it provided a rich, sustainable life for the traditional people, and has continued to be an important part of our cultural life.”
sources: CNN, Indiatimes, The Hill