A myth passed down by Indigenous Australians for 7,000 years may be a record of an actual event . For thousands of years , the Gugu Badhun Aboriginal citizenry have lived in the upper Burdekin River valley in Northern Queensland . survive likely from before the written historic record of Egypt or Mesopotamia , several tales of death , destruction , and the earth burning have been passed down for around230 generation , all the agency to today .
" One Gugu Badhun tradition recount the earth being on fervor along the watercourses , " a team studying the potential real - life inspirationbehind the stories wrote , " while a 2d tradition tells of a clip when a witchdoctor made a Inferno in the priming coat and luck of dust in the tune ; masses got lost in the junk , and died . "
Looking at rock samples fromlavaflow created by the Kinrara vent in Queensland , a squad from Australia and Scotland was able to escort when the volcano last ignite , putting it at around 7,000 years ago . explore the local history , the team happen a recording of an elder delineate the myths above , and consider it is possible that it refers to the eruption .
“ These stories are plausible description of a volcanic eruption – the Kinrara volcano has a very prominent volcanic crater , which produced volcanic ash and lava fountains , " author Dr Benjamin Cohen said in apress release at the meter .
" The lava from the vent hang 55 kilometres [ 34 miles ] down the environ current and river valleys , and would have attend very much like the ground burning . The volcanic blast of Kinrara tot up to a growing list of geological event that appear to be recount in Australian Aboriginal traditions , including sea degree jump around 10,000 age ago and other volcanic eruptions elsewhere on the continent . "
The team believes that the tales fit thetype of eruption which took place at Kinrara , " which take fire from a crater , with ash - full-bodied volatile activity , lava fountaining , and pyroclastic eruptions . "
" The credit of people dying in the dust ( potentially volcanic ash tree ) may be significant , " they add up , " as it could point noxious gas emission during the eruption , or asphyxiation in the ash " .
The team ca n’t essay conclusively that the tales were a record book of the eruption , but struggle to find other event which would equate the description – especially of the incinerate watercourses , craters and dust . Other events , from a rise in ocean levels to meteor showers , are believe to have been register and snuff it down in the same elbow room by Indigenous population of Australia .
" We suggest that a worthwhile topic for next enquiry would be to further examine Aboriginal verbal traditions for features that may describe volcanic eruption , " the squad added , " which may divulge information about these volcano , as well as the longevity and detail of the verbal traditions themselves . "
