Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Dugong vertebrae
Dugong vertebrae

Dugong vertebrae

Date1990s
Object number00055737
NameVertebrae
MediumBone
DimensionsOverall: 42 × 61 × 30 mm, 80 g
ClassificationsAnimals and animal products
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection gift from Sylvia Adam
DescriptionDugong bones collected after a traditional hunt by Bardi Jawi man Bruce Wiggan, Western Australia.HistoryThese bones were gifted from a traditional Bardi Jawi man from One Arm Point in WA. The bones were from a traditional hunt done to get food for the community with proper protocols done by Bruce Wiggan as far as hunting the animal and knowing when and where to hunt, age of animal and gender so as to not take a pregnant female or juvenile. Although modern watercraft was used in the hunt a traditional hunting spear and techniques were used.SignificanceSpeaks to Aboriginal cultural practices of the Bardi Jawi people of Western Australia and looks at their hunting skills, food supply, local knowledge of their waterways and their connection to sea life of that area not only as totems but also a food supply for the community.