Rock art is the oldest evidence for human communication. Found around the world, this symbolic behaviour is the earliest surviving record for the transmission of complex thought and enduring communications between different groups and generations. Rock art lets us see what mattered to people many millennia ago. The value of these precious works of art, a record of our human journey, needs to be appreciated if we are to protect this heritage from destruction.

Jo is the Director of the Centre for Rock Art Research + Management at the University of Western Australia. Before entering academia in 2012, she was a leading cultural heritage management practitioner.

She has recorded rock art and dreaming stories with the Martu, traditional owners of the land along the Canning Stock Route in the Australian Western Desert. Her analysis of the rock art and stone structures in the Dampier Archipelago (Burrup Peninsula) led to their inclusion on the National Heritage List. She continues to study the scientific and community values of this place to ensure the continued protection of this rock art.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx