The Riches of Ancient Australia: A Journey into Prehistory
Young Adult Non-Fiction Educational Reference Australiana Collectibles Australian Aboriginal History Prehistoric Archaeology Rock Art Studies Indigenous Culture
First-edition 1990 paperback copy of Josephine Flood’s landmark The Riches of Ancient Australia: A Journey into Prehistory – the vintage Penguin Random House Australia release that rocketed to the top of every collector’s list for Aboriginal rock-art reference. At 373 generously illustrated pages this is the sought-after large-format (250 mm) printing, now scarce in tidy, unmarked condition. No ex-library stamps, no inscriptions, no dog-eared corners, just a tight, clean block that feels as fresh as the day it left the warehouse three decades ago.
Inside, Flood – one of Australia’s most respected archaeologists – guides readers from the Kimberley’s towering Wandjina spirits to the ochred hand stencils of Tasmania’s limestone caves. Rich colour plates and detailed line drawings let you zoom in on 40 000-year-old petroglyphs, while the authoritative yet highly readable text connects climate change, trade routes and spiritual belief systems to explain why these galleries are older than the Lascaux caves. Teachers, travellers and adult-education tutors consistently choose this volume because every chapter doubles as a self-contained lesson plan, complete with site co-ordinates, dating methods and cultural protocols for respectful visits.
For collectors, the first-edition wrapper and original pagination make this a blue-chip addition to any Australiana, antiquarian or Indigenous-culture shelf; copies in very-good condition have virtually disappeared from the secondary market. For students it remains the gold-standard textbook cited in university archaeology and Australian-history courses, while rock-art enthusiasts prize its state-by-state gazetteer for trip planning. Secure this clean copy now and you own both a fascinating journey into Deep Time and a tangible piece of 1990s publishing history that continues to appreciate in scholarly – and monetary – value.
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