Tasmanian Art
Most of the prehistoric rock art found in Tasmania that has survived the millennia has been preserved in the remote western region. It is possible that easterners had similar traditions but that they painted on wood or bark – which has not survived.
The two western tribes were culturally rather different from the eastern tribes. Much of the western tribes’ stone art is based on the circle but the meaning to them of this symbol remains unknown. The suggestion that stone carving was part of a burial ritual is possible must remain speculation.
By their very nature, stone engravings are hard to date. The evidence available seem to indicate, however, that the tradition of engraving stone circles in Tasmania had begun around 3,000 years ago and died out again around 1,500 years ago.
