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Archaeology of the Waiat mysteries on Woeydhul Island in Western Torres Strait

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2021

Duncan Wright Open the ORCID record for Duncan Wright [Opens in a new window] ,
Sofia C. Samper Carro ,
Ladislav Nejman ,
Glenn van der Kolk ,
Mirani Litster ,
Michelle C. Langley ,
Rachel Wood ,
Iona Claringbold  and
Cygnet Repu
Duncan Wright*
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Australia
Sofia C. Samper Carro
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Australia Archaeology and Natural History, Australian National University, Australia Centre d'Estudis del Patrimoni Arqueologic (Ceparq-UAB), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain
Ladislav Nejman
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Sydney, Australia
Glenn van der Kolk
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Australia
Mirani Litster
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Australia
Michelle C. Langley
Affiliation:
Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Australia
Rachel Wood
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Australia
Iona Claringbold
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Australia
Cygnet Repu
Affiliation:
c/o Lag Mabuyag Island, Torres Strait Island Regional Council, Queensland, Australia
*
*Author for correspondence: ✉ [email protected]
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Abstract

Secret societies, involving restricted and hierarchically organised initiation rituals, are conspicuous in the chronicles of many past and present societies. These rarely leave a substantial written record and yet archaeology can provide vivid insight into past performances, for example in relation to Roman ‘mystery cults’. Far less research, however, has focused on Australia and the Pacific Islands. This article presents archaeological evidence for ceremonies practised on Woeydhul Island in the Western Torres Strait, exploring initiation rituals at the cusp of contemporary memory. By doing so, it provides a detailed and long-term history for Torres Strait Islander secret societies and ritual activities involving dugong bone mounds, stone arrangements and worked stingray spines.

Keywords

AustraliaTorres StraitWoeydhulWaiatculture herosecret societies
Type
Research Article
Information
Antiquity , Volume 95 , Issue 381 , June 2021 , pp. 791 - 811
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd.

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