Recorded Accounts of Meteoritic Events in the Oral Traditions of Indigenous Australians

TL;DR

Indigenous Australian oral traditions include detailed accounts of meteoritic events, which can aid scientific discovery of meteorites and impact sites, and provide insights into the longevity of oral knowledge.

Contribution

This study challenges previous conclusions by demonstrating that oral traditions can contain verifiable accounts of meteoritic events leading to scientific discoveries.

Findings

Oral traditions contain descriptions of meteorite impacts.

Some oral accounts have led to the discovery of meteorites.

Traditions can preserve historical natural events over long periods.

Abstract

Descriptions of natural events, such as fireballs and meteorite impacts, are found within Indigenous Australian oral traditions. Studies of oral traditions demonstrate that they extend beyond the realm of myth and legend; they contain structured knowledge about the natural world (science) as well as historic accounts of natural events and geo-hazards. These traditions could lead to the discovery of meteorites and impact sites previously unknown to Western science. In addition to benefiting the scientific study of meteoritics, this study can help social scientists better understand the nature and longevity of oral traditions and further support the growing body of evidence that oral traditions contain historical accounts of natural events. In a previous study led by the author in 2009, no meteorite-related oral traditions were identified that led to the discovery of meteorites and/or impact craters. This paper challenges those initial findings.