Introduction to Deep Time History

How do scientists believe the first Australians made the journey to the Australian mainland from South-East Asia?

• By making the journey across the ocean in canoes

• By walking across a land bridge during an Ice Age period

• They didn’t need to as they came from the Australian mainland

• All of the above

What is deep time?

• Deep time refers to the period when humans appeared on Earth

• Deep time refers to the period of European settlement of Australia

• Deep time refers to the age of the Earth, also known as geological time

•  Deep time refers to the period before humans appeared on Earth

What is the word for how First Nations Australians explain creation, the nature of the world and the importance of ritual and tradition?

• The Stories

• The Sagas

• The Imagining

• The Dreaming

Museums play a role in preserving and displaying artefacts from First Nations Australian history.

• True

• False

First Nations Australian history is only studied by archaeologists.

• True

• False

How was history traditionally recorded and passed down by First Nations Australians?

• Written on scrolls of papyrus

• Inscribed on clay tablets

• Through oral storytelling, rock art, and engravings

• Through books written by elders

The Deep Time History of Australia extends far beyond the history of ancient civilisations like Rome and Egypt.

• True

• False

How do archaeologists date the sites where First Nations Australians lived during Deep Time? (Select 3 correct answers)

• Radiocarbon dating

• Stratigraphy (study of rock layers)

• European accounts

• DNA testing

Rock art and petroglyphs are not considered important sources of historical knowledge.

• True

• False

The western concept of ancient history, such as Rome and Egypt, extend back only about 6,000 years.

• True

• False