ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA—According to a Cosmos Magazine report, four non-returning boomerangs discovered in South Australia’s Kinipapa Creek, also known as Cooper Creek, have been analyzed by researchers from the Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka Traditional Land Owners Corporation, Australian Heritage Services, Flinders University, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization. The boomerangs, dated from A.D. 1650 to 1830, were spotted in what is usually a large watering hole along the creek during a drought. Amy Roberts of Flinders University explained that the boomerangs are thought to have been used for fighting, hunting, digging, fire management, and perhaps in ceremonies, based upon their shape and wear and tear observed through microscopic imaging. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Australian Archaeology. To read about other uses of boomerangs, go to "Around the World: Australia."
