THE GUSEAGAL IN AUSTRALIA

THE GUSEAGAL ARE A TRIBE IN SHARAWAL TRIBE IN OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS. THEIR LANDS ARE ON THE SOUTHERN SHORES OF BOTANY BAY AND KURMELL.

THE GUSEAGUL WERE CALLED FIRE CLAN. A CLAN HAD 20 - 350 FOLKS WHO LIVED AMONGST THEMSELVES. THEY HAD STRONG TIES TO THE LAND AND SACRED SITES. THEY HAD NO WRITTEN LANGUAGE. EARLY ON THEY LIVED WITHOUT CLOTHING. THEY HAD A HAIR SASH IN WHICH THEY CARRIED TOOLS.THEY SOMETIMES WORE A POSSUM SKIN COAT IN WINTER. THEY PUT RESIN IN THEIR HAIR TO GIVE IT A MOP LIKE APPEARANCE. THEY MADE FUR COATS OF ANIMAL SKINS. TOOL MAKERS CHOOSE TO GRIND AXES CLOSE TO POOLS, AS THE WATER WAS USED AS A LUBRICANT FOR GRINDING AND SHARPENING, THEY USED AN IGNEOUS OR METAMORPHIC ROCK . ONLY ONE OF THE ENDS WAS GROUND TO A BLADE. AXE GRINDING GROOVES ARE DATED TO 3,000 YEARS AGO.

THESE ABORIGINES ARE THE GUARDIANS OF THE SACRED WHITE CLAY. IT WAS CONSIDERED SACRED. THEY MADE WHITE PAINT FROM THE EARLY COLOR AND IT WAS ADDED TO THE WHITE CLAY. IT WAS CONSIDERED SACRED THEY MADE WHITE PAINT FROM THE CLAY. COLOR WAS ADDED TO THE CLAY USING BERRIES THAT MADE A COLORED PAINT. THE CLAY WAS USED AS AN ANTIACID AS MEDICINE. THEY PAINTED THEMSELVES FOR CEREMONIES. THEY ATE THE CLAY WITH BERRIES AS A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT.

CAVES HAD BEAUTIFUL AND COLORFUL PICTOGRAPHS THAT WERE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR LIVES. THEY LIVED IN CAVES OR OVERHANGING SITES. IN 1789 MANY WERE VICTIMS OF SMALL POX. SOME CAVES WERE WERE USED AS BURIAL SITES. DURING SOME HEAVY RAINSTORM, THE PEOPLE WENT TO CAVES AND SOME CAVED IN TRAPPING THE PEOPLE. THE WALLS OF THESE CAVES WERE ADORNED WITH CARVINGS; SOME OF THEM WERE DESTROYED. THEY BUILT FIRES THERE AND SOME HAVE BEEN TEST EXCAVATED.

THE GUSEAGAL LAND HAD MUCH FISH. MEN AND WOMEN FISHED IN CANOES AND RIVERS AND THE OCEAN. THEY MADE HOOKS FROM SHELLS AND CAUGHT WATERFOWL. THEY COLLECT EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL PLANTS, BIRD EGGS, POSSUMS AND GOANNY WERE THEIR STAPLES. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD ABUNDANT RESOURCES, THEY TOOK ONLY WHAT THEY IMMEDIATELY COULD USE. THESE FOLKS WERE LESS NOMADIC THAN THE NATIONS OF THE OUTBACK AUSTRALIA.

CAPTAIN COOK LANDED NEAR BOTANY BAY IN 1770. THE ABORIGINES HAD NOT SEEN ANY WHITE FOLKS BEFORE THIS AND THEY YELLED AND DEMONSTRATED SHOWING SIGNS OF AGGRESSION AND WEAPONS. AFTER 15 MINUTES THERE WAS AN EXCHANGE OF MUSKET FIRE AND SPEARS. ONE SHOT WOUNDED AN ABORIGINE. THEIR SPEARS WERE INEFFECTIVE AGAINST THE GUNS OF THE BRITISH. THEY FINALLY CAME ASHORE WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY TO BREED AND MAKE CONTACT.

BUT THEY HAD NO SUCCESS AND THE ABORIGINES AVOIDED THEM. THEY IGNORED THEM AND CAUGHT FISH ON THE SHORE. THEYCOULD WATCH HIS CREW WITH CAUTION. THE LOCALS DECIDED TO LET COOK'S FOLK USE THEIR SMALL AREA WITHOUT HOSTILITY.

AFTER RETURNING TO ENGLANDTHAT YEAR THEY BROUGHT SOME PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND CULTURAL ARTIFACTS 950 ABORIGINAL SPEARS FROM THE GUEAGAL. ARCHAEOLOGISTS SAY THE SPEARS ARE PRICELESS AS THEY ARE THE FEW ARTIFQCTS FROM COOK'S VOYAGE AND ARE STORED AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM.

WIKIPEDIA.ORG