Aboriginal People’s Pottery-Making and Distant Island Voyages Preceded European Arrival by Millennia

Pottery has been a mystery in Australia for a long time, as there was no evidence of ancient Indigenous pottery. However, recent research has uncovered the oldest securely dated ceramics in Australia, dating back over 1800 years. The pottery was found on Jiigurru, an island in the Lizard Island group on the northern Great Barrier Reef. Previous pottery findings in the Torres Strait suggested that pottery was introduced to Australia through trade with Southeast Asia. However, the pottery found on Jiigurru was made from local materials, indicating that Aboriginal communities were making pottery themselves. The discovery provides new insights into the history of Aboriginal people and their connections to other cultures in the region. Further research is needed to uncover more secrets of Australia’s past.