Finger flutings at New Guinea II Cave, lower Snowy River valley (Victoria), GunaiKurnai country

Abstract

‘Finger flutings’, the marks made when people run their fingers along soft cave walls and ceilings, are typically found in limestone caves. Such marks capture a momentary impression of engagement with a place: old (archaeological) finger flutings mark the gestures of people past (in Australia, often referred to as the ‘Old Ancestors’) as they ventured into the depths of caves. In Australia, finger flutings are rare and spread across the southern half of the continent. As shallow three-dimensional impressions, they are sometimes difficult to discern, difficult to photograph, and difficult to record, especially where they have undergone weathering or erosion. In this paper, we present the resu..