Australian Archaeology
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Full Citation Details:
Dortch, C.E. 1975. Recent Research in South Western Prehistory.
'Australian Archaeology', no.3, 13-18.
RECENT RESEARCH I N SOUTH WESTERN PREHISTORY
The D e v i l ' s L a i r i n v e s t i g a t i o n s c o n t i n u e t o b e t h e most important s i n g l e r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t i n t h e p r e h i s t o r y of s o u t h western A u s t r a l i a . The small group of excavators from t h e Western A u s t r a l i a n Museum (J. Balme, C. Dortch, D. M e r r i l e e s and J. P o r t e r ) completed t h e i r f i f t h f i e l d season i n A p r i l 1975.
During t h i s season they p e n e t r a t e d w e l l below a c h a r c o a l band dated a t 24,600 f 800 BP (SUA 31) and found more evidence of human occupation i n t h e form of a l a r g e p i t and perhaps two more h e a r t h s , a l l of which a r e s t i l l under a n a l y s i s . A t p r e s e n t s i x p i t s have been recorded, i n c l u d i n g t h e enigmatic P i t 2 (Dortch and M e r r i l e e s 1973). There a r e a l s o more than s i x h e a r t h s , some of which remain under a n a l y s i s , and one occupation s u r f a c e (Dortch 1974). The c h a r c o a l band dated a t 24,600 BP, i t s e l f probably a l a r g e , t h i n h e a r t h , contained a number of animal bones and s t o n e a r t i f a c t s i n c l u d i n g a few made of a d i s t i n c t i v e form of bryozoan c h e r t ( s e e below).
No remains of t h e A u s t r a l i a n e x t i n c t P l e i s t o c e n e marsupial fauna have y e t been i d e n t i f i e d a t D e v i l ' s L a i r . The only s p e c i e s recovered which a r e now e x t i n c t i n mainland A u s t r a l i a a r e t h e Tasmanian d e v i l and t h e t h y l a c i n e , t h e l a s t b e i n g r e p r e s e n t e d only by two i n c i s o r s . A s i n g l e i n c i s o r from a l a y e r d a t e d between 20,400 and 24,600 BP i s probably t h a t of a k o a l a . Marine fauna i s s t i l l extremely r a r e , and mussel s h e l l s a r e t h e o n l y r e l a t i v e l y common f r e s h w a t e r f aunal remains. Recently s e v e r a l s e e d s , probably o f h e a t h p l a n t s , were i d e n t i f i e d during l a b o r a t o r y s o r t i n g of b u l k sediment samples.
U n t i l 1975, f r o t h f l o t a t i o n sampling had n o t been c a r r i e d o u t on t h e Devil's L a i r sediments. However t h e Conservation Department of t h e Western A u s t r a l i a n Museum has r e c e n t l y completed a f r o t h f l o t a t i o n u n i t (bubbler t y p e ) , and sediment samples taken o v e r t h e p a s t t h r e e y e a r s a r e now being processed.
A human p e l v i s bone has been recovered from Hearth 2 , a f e a t u r e dated a t 12,000 y e a r s BP (SUA 102 and SUA 103: Dortch 1974) A human milk t o o t h was i d e n t i f i e d i n 1974 d u r i n g l a b o r a t o r y s o r t i n g of a b u l k sample from a l a y e r d a t e d a t 19,000 y e a r s BP, making t h i s one of A u s t r a l i a ' s o l d e s t human f o s s i l s . The p e l v i s bone and t h e t o o t h a r e r e s p e c t i v e l y being published by P r o f e s s o r D. Allbrook and D r L.
Freedman of t h e Department of Anatomy and Human Biology, U n i v e r s i t y of Western A u s t r a l i a .
A v a r i e t y of o t h e r small f i n d s were made d u r i n g t h e 1975 season.
From Hearth 2 (12,000 BP) and l a y e r 10d (20-21,000 BP) r e s p e c t i v e l y t h e r e a r e two engraved limestone plaques t h e younger of which a p p e a r s t o be an a r t o b j e c t . Other f i n d s i n c l u d e a second bone bead ( s e e Dortch and M e r r i l e e s 1973) which may be a s much a s 15,000 y e a r s o l d , and a very f i n e l y worked s m a l l , broken bone p o i n t d a t i n g t o about 19,000 BP.
A few f i n e l y d e n t a t e d o r a b r u p t l y retouched small s t o n e a r t i f a c t s have been recovered i n c l u d i n g a 19,000 y e a r o l d p a r t l y
'York
2.
I n l e t
1. MOSMAN PARK 2. FRIEZE CAVE 3. WALYUNGA
4 . DUNE SITES
6 . COWERUP SWAMP
7 . P E E L INLET SURVEY
8 . BOLGART
9 . ALBANY
backed q u a r t z b l a d e l e t which probably f o r t u i t o u s l y resembles a b o n d i p o i n t . O t h e r s t o n e a r t i f a c t s i n c l u d e a few more a d z e - l i k e s c r a p e r s as d e s c r i b e d i n Dortch (1974) and Dortch and M e r r i l e e s
(1973). The D e v i l ' S L a i r bone t o o l s a r e now s e e n t o b e a numerous and complex group, and i t i s c l e a r t h a t bone t o o l s were an
i m p o r t a n t p a r t o f t h e t o o l k i t of L a t e P l e i s t o c e n e man i n t h e s o u t h w e s t . Balme and D o r t c h a r e p r e p a r i n g a paper on t h e bone technology of D e v i l ' s L a i r .
D r M, Shackely o f I n s t i t u t e of Archaeology, Oxford U n i v e r s i t y i s p r e s e n t l y making a d e t a i l e d s t u d y o f t h e D e v i l ' s L a i r sediments, and h e r c o l l e a g u e D r A. Wimple i s engaged i n t h e m - l u m i n e s c e n c e d a t i n g o f samples o f c r y s t a l l i n e l i m e s t o n e t a k e n from s u c c e s s i v e l a y e r s i n t h e r a d i o c a r b o n d a t e d p a r t of t h e D e v i l ' s L a i r d e p o s i t . P r e l i m i n a r y i n v e s t i g a t i o n s a r e a l s o b e i n g made i n P e r t h of amino-acid and uranium-thorium d a t i n g o f bone samples from t h e d e p o s i t .
One o f t h e most i n t e r e s t i n g r e c e n t developments i n s o u t h w e s t e r n r e s e a r c h c e n t r e s on s t u d i e s (Glover 1974, 1975; Glover and Cockbain 1971) of a d i s t i n c t i v e form o f Eocene f o s s i l i f e r o u s
(bryozoan) c h e r t . T h i s s t o n e was much used f o r a r t i f a c t s a t D e v i l ' s L a i r between 12,000 and 25,000 BP (Dortch 1974; Dortch and M e r r i l e e s
1 9 7 3 ) , and bryozoan c h e r t a r t i f a c t s o c c u r i n abundance i n many c o a s t a l dune sites which o n s t r a t i g r a p h i c a l and t y p o l o g i c a l grounds a r e
t h o u g h t t o d a t e t o t h e e a r l y Holocene and L a t e P l e i s t o c e n e . Recent o f f - s h o r e b o r i n g shown t h a t a f o r m a t i o n of Eocene l i m e s t o n e which i s t h e p r o b a b l e s o u r c e o f t h e bryozoan c h e r t used i n t h e P e r t h Basin and a t D e v i l ' s L a i r was exposed d u r i n g t i m e s of low s e a l e v e l d u r i n g t h e L a t e P l e i s t o c e n e and u n t i l perhaps s i x o r seven thousand y e a r s ago
(Glover 1975). T h i s new e v i d e n c e a p p e a r s t o confirm r e c e n t hypotheses of Glover and Cockbain (1971) and Hallam (1972, 1975) on t h e o r i g i n and p r e h i s t o r i c human u s e of t h e s t o n e . I n February 1975 Western A u s t r a l i a n Museum s t a f f found bryozoan c h e r t f l a k e s in situ i n c o a s t a l dunes o f t h e a n c i e n t Spearwood System (McArthur and Bettenay 1960) a t Mosman P a r k o n t h e Swan R i v e r about f i v e km n o r t h of Fremantle.
C h a r c o a l samples t a k e n from t h i s e x c a v a t i o n a r e b e i n g r a d i o c a r b o n dated by U n i v e r s i t y o f Sydney, and J. C l a r k e and C. Dortch a r e p r e p a r i n g a r e p o r t on t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n .
C. Dortch and W.M. McArthur (Land Resources Management, CSIRO, P e r t h ) are p r e s e n t l y c a r r y i n g o u t a r c h a e o l o g i c a l and geomorphological i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n dune s y s t e m s i n t h e v i c i n i t y of D e v i l ' s L a i r . Survey h a s r e v e a l e d numerous bryozoan c h e r t and q u a r t z a r t i f a c t s i n dunes p r o b a b l y o f much t h e s a m e a g e a s t h e Spearwood System of t h e P e r t h B a s i n t o t h e n o r t h , T e s t e x c a v a t i o n s y i e l d e d bryozoan c h e r t a r t i f a c t s i n a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h q u a r t z geometric m i c r o l i t h s . I t i s l i k e l y then t h a t bryozoan c h e r t was used, and t h u s i t s s o u r c e s exposed, u n t i l s i x o r s e v e n thousand y e a r s ago, t h i s b e i n g t h e probably age of t h e f i r s t m i c r o l i t h i c assemblages i n s o u t h w e s t e r n A u s t r a l i a . T h i s age i s i n k e e p i n g w i t h G l o v e r ' s (1975) e s t i m a t e f o r t h e t e r m i n a t i o n of A b o r i g i n a l e x p l o i t a t i o n o f bryozoan c h e r t
.
Charcoal samples from t h e p r i n c i p a l test e x c a v a t i o n s i n t h e s e dunes a r e b e i n g d a t e d by U n i v e r s i t y of Sydney r a d i o c a r b o n l a b o r a t o r y .Dortch (1975) r e c e n t l y o b t a i n e d r a d i o c a r b o n d a t e s f o r t h e s t o n e i n d u s t r i a l sequence a t a q u a r r y
-
f a c t o r y n e a r N o r t h c l i f f e on t h e s o u t h c o a s t which i n d i c a t e t h a t g e o m e t r i c m i c r o l i t h s were being made t h e r e between t h r e e and a b o u t s i x thousand y e a r s ago.I n June 1975 R. P e a r c e of t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Western A u s t r a l i a c a r r i e d o u t a test excavation i n a dune s o i l n e a r Walyunga a t t h e f o o t of t h e D a r l i n g Escarpment 40 km n o r t h of P e r t h . Here h e i d e n t i f i e d a s t o n e i n d u s t r i a l sequence i n which bryozoan c h e r t a r t i f a c t assemblages a r e followed by o n e s which c o n t a i n no bryozoan c h e r t b u t which do c o n t a i n a few backed b l a d e s and o t h e r m i c r o l i t h i c t o o l s . The sequence ends w i t h A b o r i g i n a l a r t i f a c t s made o f European m a t e r i a l s though i t i s n o t c e r t a i n w h e t h e r backed m i c r o l i t h s c o n t i n u e u n t i l t h e post-European phase. Three c h a r c o a l samples t a k e n from t h i s e x c a v a t i o n have been s u b m i t t e d f o r r a d i o c a r b o n a s s a y .
Thus r e c e n t e x c a v a t i o n s a t Mosman P a r k , t h e dunes n e a r D e v i l ' s L a i r , Walyunga and N o r t h c l i f f e p r o v i d e p e t r o l o g i c a l and
t y p o l o g i c a l sequences which, when combined w i t h t h e s t o n e i n d u s t r i a l sequences recorded from D e v i l ' s L a i r (Dortch 1974; D o r t c h and M e r r i l e e s 1973) and F r i e z e Cave n e a r York (Hallam 1972, 1 9 7 5 ) , c o n s t i t u t e a r e l i a b l e r e c o r d of changes i n s t o n e i n d u s t r i e s and v a r i a t i o n s i n s t o n e r e s o u r c e s i n t h e s o u t h west from t h e L a t e P l e i s t o c e n e u n t i l t h e modern p e r i o d .
S t u d i e s i n s o u t h w e s t e r n t r a d i t i o n a l o r p r e h i s t o r i c e c o l o g y , economy and environment a r e a l s o b e i n g advanced. H a l l a m (1975) h a s published H e a r t h Qnd Fire, an i m p o r t a n t s y n t h e s i s o f t r a d i t i o n a l land use i n t h e s o u t h west based l a r g e l y on t h e e x c e l l e n t ethno- h i s t o r i c a l s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e . Baynes, M e r r i l e e s and P o r t e r (1976) have produced a d e t a i l e d s t u d y of t h e mammalian f a u n a 1 s e q u e n c e a t D e v i l ' s L a i r which i n c l u d e s e n v i r o n m e n t a l i n f e r e n c e s based o n p r e f e r r e d p r e s e n t day h a b i t a t s of s o u t h w e s t e r n mammals. Meagher
(1974) h a s w r i t t e n a v e r y u s e f u l p a p e r on s o u t h w e s t e r n A b o r i g i n a l food r e s o u r c e s based on e t h n o h i s t o r i c a l a c c o u n t s and t o a l e s s e r e x t e n t on h e r f i e l d i n q u i r i e s among s o u t h w e s t e r n A b o r i g i n a l p e o p l e .
S i t e p r o t e c t i o n and s a l v a g e c o n t i n u e s t o be a s e r i o u s problem i n t h e s o u t h west. S t a f f of t h e Departments of Archaeology,
Anthropology and A b o r i g i n a l S i t e s of t h e Western A u s t r a l i a n Museum, M r s Hallam and h e r s t u d e n t s from t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Western A u s t r a l i a , and a l s o a number of i n t e r e s t e d a m a t e u r s have been engaged i n s e v e r a l s a l v a g e e x c a v a t i o n o r s u r v e y p r o j e c t s i n t h e P e r t h M e t r o p o l i t a n area.
Here numerous dune s i t e s c o n t a i n i n g a r c h a e o l o g i c a l h o r i z o n s are b e i n g destroyed by l a r g e s c a l e urban development. Most o f t h e s e s i t e s a r e n o t b e i n g p r o p e r l y s a l v a g e d b e f o r e t h e y a r e d e s t r o y e d d e s p i t e t h e
e f f o r t s of t h e above a r c h a e o l o g i c a l groups. (The Mosman P a r k e x c a v a t i o n was one such s a l v a g e p r o j e c t , and t h e s i t e i s now t o t a l l y d e s t r o y e d . )
Salvage p r o j e c t s and s u r v e y s h a v e b e e n c a r r i e d o u t i n o t h e r p a r t s of t h e s o u t h w e s t , one of t h e most r e c e n t o f t h e s e b e i n g a s u r v e y on t h e c o a s t a l p l a i n s o u t h of P e e l I n l e t which was d i r e c t e d by
M r s V. Novak of t h e Museum's Department of A b o r i g i n a l S i t e s . There a r e many l a r g e sedge swamps i n t h e s o u t h w e s t , and one o f t h e l a r g e s t o f t h e s e , Cowerup Swamp, n e a r Lake Muir is b e i n g s y s t e m a t i c a l l y e x c a v a t e d by f e r t i l i z e r manufacturers. Q u a r t z a r t i f a c t s o c c u r i n s u f f i c i e n t
t o p r o c e s s t h e s e d g e p l a n t s removed from t h e swamp. S i t e d e s t r u c t i o n i n t h e P e r t h m e t r o p o l i t a n a r e a and t h e d r a i n i n g o r commercial e x c a v a t i o n o f sedge swamps n e a r P e r t h and on t h e s o u t h c o a s t c o n s t i t u t e t h e two most c r u c i a l s a l v a g e problems i n t h e s o u t h west a t p r e s e n t . There a r e many hundreds of
l i m e s t o n e c a v e s i n t h e Capes Leeuwin and N a t u r a l i s t e a r e a , i n the P e r t h d i s t r i c t and n e a r G e r a l d t o n t o t h e n o r t h and some of t h e s e undoubtedly c o n t a i n v a l u a b l e a r c h a e o l o g i c a l d e p o s i t s . The caves a r e under t h r e a t of d e s t r u c t i o n o r vandalism a t any time, though, f o r t u n a t e l y , Perth-based s p e l e o l o g i c a l groups have been keeping a v e r y c l o s e watch on developments which may endanger them. I t i s w o r t h n o t i n g h e r e t h a t t h e p r e s e n t s e r i e s of e x c a v a t i o n s a t D e v i l ' s L a i r i t s e l f began a s a s a l v a g e job.
Most r e s e a r c h i n t o s o u t h w e s t e r n p r e h i s t o r y has been confined t o t h e w e s t e r n c o a s t a l p l a i n ( t h e P e r t h Basin) and t h e Cape Leeuwin- Cape N a t u r a l i s t e a r e a . The n o t a b l e e x c e p t i o n t o t h i s h a s been all am's (1972, 1975) s u r v e y and e x c a v a t i o n s n e a r York i n t h e Avon V a l l e y t o t h e e a s t of P e r t h . Other work i n c l u d e s a p r e l i m i n a r y s u r v e y made by D r J . M . Bowler of t h e A u s t r a l i a n N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t y a t l u n e t t e s i n t h e i n t e r i o r zone of s a l t l a k e s ( p l a y a s ) . M r W. Dix, now Deputy P r i n c i p a l of t h e A u s t r a l i a n I n s t i t u t e of A b o r i g i n a l S t u d i e s , h a s made a d e t a i l e d s t u d y of t i d a l f i s h t r a p s a t King George Sound
(Albany) on t h e s o u t h c o a s t , and he and s t a f f of t h e Department of A b o r i g i n a l S i t e s have a l s o r e c e n t l y recorded l i n e a r r o c k engravings a t B o l g a r t n e a r York. Rock a r t i s r a r e i n t h e south west though a t l e a s t two c a v e s n e a r P e r t h c o n t a i n l i n e a r engravings (Hallam 1975) and one of t h e engraved p l a q u e s from D e v i l ' s L a i r i s , a s n o t e d above, p r o b a b l y a n a r t o b j e c t , and t h e s e s u g g e s t t h a t t h e s o u t h west may y i e l d more f i n d s of p r e h i s t o r i c rock a r t .
I n c o n c l u s i o n p r e h i s t o r i c r e s e a r c h i n t h e s o u t h west i s only i n i t s b e g i n n i n g s t a g e . A number of v e r y i n t e r e s t i n g developments have been d e t e c t e d even though t h e sample of a r c h a e o l o g i c a l d a t a f o r a n a r e a of t h i s s i z e i s a d m i t t e d l y s m a l l . However r e s e a r c h t o d a t e h a s been broad b a s e d and i n c l u d e s s i g n i f i c a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n s from p a l a e o n t o l o g i s t s , p a l y n o l o g i s t s , g e o l o g i s t s and s o i l s c i e n t i s t s , e t h n o g r a p h e r s and h i s t o r i a n s , n o t t o mention p h y s i c a l s c i e n t i s t s who have provided r a d i o c a r b o n d a t e s and many o t h e r e s s e n t i a l s t u d i e s .
C.E. Dortch,
Western A u s t r a l i a n Museum
R e f e r e n c e s
Baynes, M e r r i l e e s , D. and P o r t e r , J. 1976. Mammal remains from t h e upper l e v e l s of a L a t e P l e i s t o c e n e d e p o s i t i n D e v i l ' s L a i r , Western A u s t r a l i a . J m . Roy.
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Dortch, C.E. and D. Merrilees. 1973. Human occupation of D e v i l ' s L a i r , Western A u s t r a l i a d u r i n g t h e P l e i s t o c e n e . A.P.A.O. V I I I , 2.
Glover, J.E. 1974 Petrology of c h e r t a r t i f a c t s from D e v i l ' s L a i r , Western A u s t r a l i a . Jour. Roy. Soc. West. Aust., 57.
Glover, J . E . 1975. Aboriginal c h e r t a r t i f a c t s probably from q u a r r i e s on t h e c o n t i n e n t a l s h e l f , Western A u s t r a l i a . Search, 6 , 9.
Glover, J. E. and A. E. Cockbain. 1971. Transported A b o r i g i n a l a r t i f a c t m a t e r i a l , P e r t h Basin, Western A u s t r a l i a .
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Hallam, S.J. 1972. "An Archaeological s u r v e y of t h e P e r t h area:..."
A.I.A.S. Newsletter 3, 5.
Hallam, S.J. 1975. Hearth and F i r e . A.I.A.S. (A.A.S. 5 8 ) , Canberra.
McArthur, W.M. and E. Bettenay. 1960. Development and d i s t r i b u t i o n of s o i l s on t h e Swan C o a s t a l P l a i n , W.A. C.S. I.R.O.
S o i l FubZ. No. 16.
Meagher, S.J. 1974. The food r e s o u r c e s of t h e south-west of Western A u s t r a l i a . Rec. West. A w t . Mus. 3, 1.
BROUGHTON ISLAND, N.S.W.
RECENT PREHISTORIC USE OF AN OFFSHORE OCEAN ISLAND
I n t r o d u c t i o n
I n June 1974 e x c e p t i o n a l l y s t r o n g winds c o i n c i d e d w i t h h i g h t i d e s on t h e c o a s t of N e w South Wales t o c r e a t e damaging waves.
Unpublicised r e s u l t s were wave c u t s e c t i o n s i n middens p r e v i o u s l y unrecorded. One such exposure was on Broughton I s l a n d , which I v i s i t e d f o r a day i n J u l y 1974.
Location
Broughton I s l a n d i s 32O 35' S, 152O 20' E; g r i d r e f e r e n c e is 535967. The i s l a n d i s of i r r e g u l a r shape, b e i n g from n o r t h t o
