Current themes in the study of material culture in the rock art of northern Australia

This paper introduces this special volume of The Artefact journal focusing on material culture and rock art. We introduce the key themes of the volume beginning with the re-evaluation of existing rock art chronologies using depictions of material culture as a central interpretative element. Likewise, we investigate the ways in which papers in this volume examine the concept of ritual behaviours in rock art and how depictions of material culture can play a pivotal role in identifying such complex activities.