By: Yuning Xiang

Out of the 250 languages spoken in Australia, one particular language was carved on sticks. The “message sticks” had pictures carved on both sides of a flat piece of wood that contained messages sent between the Aboriginal people, which is considered the oldest living culture on Earth. The sticks could’ve been used for news or storytelling.

These pictures acted like Egyptian hieroglyphics, telling stories about the Aboriginal people’s lives. The sticks can be seen in Australian museums but few can be deciphered. The museum has members of local tribes help decode the messages to tell the 21st century about their ancestors.