The cover of this book shows an example of Australian Aboriginal
rock art from the Kimberley region of Western Australia, and is
reproduced here by courtesy of Graham Walsh of the Takarakka
Rock Art Research Centre. The paintings were first reported by
the explorer Joseph Bradshaw (1891). Because they are unusual
and the details are unique there has been some speculation as to
their origin. And because these paintings have no direct
connection with the traditional owners of the land they have not
been retouched as part of tribal ceremonies as is often the
case. They are deteriorating as the rock substrate ages and
organic binders and pigments oxidize and polymerize, which
demands that some conservation measures be initiated for their
preservation for future generations. The rock art paintings
illuminate the twin aims of this book: the use of archaeometry
to determine the age, and perhaps some of the forensic details
about the artefacts under examination; and the use of scientific
techniques of analysis to det