iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

Just read something interesting about objects traded between Aboriginal tribes, thought I might share...

An object that might be abundant in one region may only have a practical use, though once traded, its rareness might give it also a "mystical" aura.
This is said to be the case for seashells, used as knives on the coasts, and "magical" amulets in the deserts where they are very rare and only come through trade routes.

An object that is crafted for a specific function in some place might acquire another function in another place where it is traded.
This is said to be the case for the boomerang, used for hunting in the desert, and used as clapsticks in ArnhemLand where they are not traditionally crafted but come through trade routes.

These allegations might of course take big shortcuts, but they seem to make sense... what do you think ?

Hi Francis,

These aren't allegations or rumors, they're fact

There are documented trade routes for some of these objects, for example, the pearl shells which got traded from the north of Western Australia (around the Broome region I think) to the desert areas. They're very beautiful things often incised with geometric sacred designs.

Guan