Deep Time & Chronology
What is Deep Time?
The time before written record when humans first existed.
From which continent did early humans begin migrating?
Africa.
This iconic Australian Rock is deeply connected to the local indigenous people of the area
Uluru
What were megafauna?
Megafauna were large animals that lived during deep time.
What is a primary source?
A source created at the time being studied, such as artefacts, rock art, or oral histories.
How long have First Nations Australian's lived in Australia?
65,000+ years
What environmental period allowed humans to reach Australia more easily?
The Ice Age.
These people are the guardians of the Dreaming lore
The Elders
Name one example of Australian megafauna.
Diprotodon, giant kangaroos, giant wombats, Thylacoleo.
Give one example of a primary source from deep time.
Rock art, tools, bones, fossils, shell middens.
Why do historians use timelines when studying deep time and what years appear on the timeline?
To organise events in the order they happen.
BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).
What was Sahul?
Sahul was the ancient landmass that connected Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea when sea levels were lower.
What is an artefact?
An artefact is evidence used by historians to tell us about the past. E.g., bones, pottery, jewellery
Give one theory explaining why megafauna became extinct.
Climate change or human hunting.
What is a secondary source?
A source created after the event, such as textbooks, documentaries, or historian reports.
Why is it difficult to study Australia’s deep past?
Because there are no written records from that time, and evidence must be interpreted carefully.
Oral histories.
Explain how sea levels affected migration to Australia.
Sea levels dropped, exposing land bridges and making it easier for humans to travel shorter distances by land or sea.
What was discovered that changed the history of Ancient Australian settlement?
Mungo Man - he proved humans lived in Australia a lot longer than initially thought.
Growing crops or caring for animals to maintain a steady food stupply.
Agriculture
Why are oral histories important sources in Australia’s deep past?
Because they pass down knowledge, stories, and cultural understanding across generations.
A type of story that helps to explain the history and some of the traditional beliefs held by First Peoples.
Creation Stories
Describe two reasons why early humans migrated out of Africa.
food, shelther, weather or curiosity
How is it believed that Aboriginal people first arrived in Australia?
Early Aboriginal peoples travelled from Southeast Asia to Australia by land and short sea crossings during a time of lower sea levels.
Where Creator Spirits live and where people go when they die, according to Indigenous Australian peoples.
The Dreaming
Why can interpretations of the past change over time?
Because new evidence may be discovered, leading historians to revise their explanations.