Australian Archaeology

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Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.au

Full Citation Details:

Stockton, E 1975. Archaeologists and Aborigines. 'Australian

Archaeology', no.2, 10-12.

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ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND ABORIGINES

A t a time when r e l a t i o n s between a r c h a e o l o g i s t s and Aborigines a r e under discussion, I though it might be u s e f u l t o o f f e r a few thoughts drawn from my experience both h e r e and i n t h e Middle East.

I t may come a s a novel i d e a , t o you a s t o me, t h a t we have never asked t h e Aboriginal people i f we could d i g up t h e i r p a s t . Certainly we regard t h i s research a s p e r t i n e n t t o t h e whole human race, but I am sure I would regard i t a s a d i s c o u r t e s y

i f someone were t o research my l i f e and f a i l t o c o n s u l t me. Each archaeologist may have h i s own way of t e l l i n g Aborigines what he i s doing and of seeking approval, but I t h i n k it i s time we d i d i t symbolically f o r t h e whole science

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symbols being an important p a r t of Aboriginal communication. For example, d e l e g a t e s on behalf of Australian archaeologists might meet with t h e NAC

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s o c i a l l y , formally and with plenty of P.R.

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explaining why t h i s study i s s o important t o us, what has been l e a r n t so f a r and what we s t i l l hope t o learn and then a c t u a l l y asking permission (with apologies f o r neglect i n t h e p a s t ) . If t a c t f u l l y done, t h e r e need be no

apprehension of r e f u s a l . h c h t h e same could be done r e g i o n a l l y f o r Aborigines generally f e e l a g r e a t e r sense o f belonging t o s p e c i f i c areas, r a t h e r than t o t h e continent a s a whole.

The need f o r feedback was impressed on u s a t t h e l a s t ANZAAS conference. This can be done by l e c t u r e s and popular writing (e.g. i n AboriginaZ News, New Dawn, Identity o r t h e l o c a l newsletters). Some academics have t r i e d t h i s and a l l would agree on t h e i n t e r e s t aroused. I t i s n o t i c e a b l e how p r e s s r e p o r t s on spectacular f i n d s a r e quickly taken up by Aboriginals and used i n t h e i r propaganda. Again s o c i a l occasions a r e u s e f u l f o r t h i s , e s p e c i a l l y barbecues and bush outings, when everyone s e t t l e s around t h e f i r e t o t e l l s t o r i e s . The academic w i l l f i n d h i s work t a k e s on a new character when he can simply s h a r e experiences with h i s dark friends.

I t i s no derogation o f a s c i e n t i f i c a t t i t u d e t o profess unashamedly a s p i r i t u a l and emotional bond with our work. I l i k e t o point out t h a t white Australians, well-off i n o t h e r ways, a r e s p i r i t u a l l y deprived because r o o t l e s s , t h a t t h e Aboriginal s t o r y i s t h e h e r i t a g e of a l l Australians and t h a t through them we have vicarious roots i n t h e Australian s o i l . Noting t h a t even urban Aborigines have a f e e l i n g t h a t t h e s p i r i t s of t h e Old People r e s i d e

in t h e e a r t h , I sometimes explain t h a t t h e s e a n c e s t o r s communicate with u s by what they l e f t i n t h e ground and archaeological methods gives us a way of hearing what they say. While working i n t h e Blue Mountains, I r e c a l l e d t o my f r i e n d s t h e f a n c i e s of a mountain

childhood t h a t , s i n c e t h e mountain people had died o u t o r s c a t t e r e d , I f e l t I owed it t o t h e s p i r i t s of t h e dead t o find out a l l I could and pass it on. Such thinking and speaking is q u i t e compatible with a s c i e n t i f i c mentality, f o r s u r e l y it i s a mark of a t r u l y educated person t h a t he can pass with ease between d i f f e r e n t thought-worlds.

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On t h e o t h e r hand it i s f a t a l t o be forced o r corny

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l i s t e n i n g awhile w i l l give t h e cue a s t o what t o say, with s i n c e r i t y .

Aborigines, a s a matter of policy, could well be employed on excavations. They show considerable i n t e r e s t and a l s o q u a l i t i e s which can be highly u s e f u l , e.g. sharp eyes, s e n s i t i v e handling, c a r e f u l movement, sense of h i s t o r y . From t h e beginnings of

Middle East archaeology, t h e B r i t i s h t r a i n e d l o c a l Arabs i n c e r t a i n a s p e c t s of excavation, e.g. trowelling, and i n time t h e r e r e s u l t e d a pool of workers so s k i l l e d t h a t no campaign could a f f o r d t o do without them. Often I have seen a European trench supervisor c a l l i n one of t h e t e c h n i c a l a s s i s t a n t s t o find a l e v e l he had l o s t . Some o f t h e t e c h n i c a l a s s i s t a n t s were promoted by B r i t i s h archaeo- l o g i c a l bodies t o u n i v e r s i t y study of archaeology and conservation, and t h e s e men i n time came t o be t h e all-important Directors of A n t i q u i t i e s i n newly independent s t a t e s - t o t h e great advantage of B r i t i s h excavators. The B r i t i s h , generally, were s e n s i t i v e t o t h e impact of a d i g on t h e l o c a l economy and were t a c t f u l i n l o c a l and r e g i o n a l p o l i t i c s . Since t h e Six Day W ~ T , f o r instance, they have avoided a l l but salvage operations i n I s r a e l . This kind of policy paid o f f i n remarkable r e l a t i o n s with t h e Arabs a t both l o c a l and government l e v e l s . Such examples can teach u s a l o t f o r t h e A u s t r a l i a n scene.

On t h e s u b j e c t of desecration, t h e observation can be made t h a t , f o r p r a c t i c a l purposes ( i

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e. a p a r t from i n t e r n a l theological c o n s i d e r a t i o n s ) , t h i n g s a r e not sacred i n themselves but only i n respect b c e r t a i n peopZe. They can be sacred i n varying degrees and a t varying l e v e l s . Sacred things a r e not n e c e s s a r i l y untouchable

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what i s expected i s t h a t they be d e a l t with r e s p e c t f u l l y , reverent- i a l l y , and only by t h o s e who have a r i g h t t o d e a l with them. The s c i e n t i s t himself shows a s p i r i t akin t o r e l i g i o u s awe, a submission t o f a c t s which i s very much l i k e what t h e ancients termed ' P i e t y w , but he shows t h a t r e s p e c t by an o b j e c t i v e a t t i t u d e t o h i s d a t a . But t h i s t r e a t i n g a t h i n g a s an "object" can be objectionable t o a person who regards it with r e l i g i o u s reverence, o r even with some kind of emotional commitment (e.g. sex as an o b j e c t of s c i e n t i f i c study).

I n a p l u r a l i s t s o c i e t y it i s no argument t o say t h a t such an a t t i t u d e i s i r r a t i o n a l , unfounded o r o b s t r u c t i v e t o s c i e n t i f i c i n v e s t i g a t i o n , because a t t i t u d e s a t c o n f l i c t a r e by d e f i n i t i o n s u b j e c t i v e (on both s i d e s ) , t h e i r v a l i d i t y above question and t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e v a l u e not comparable. Where c o n f l i c t between a t t i t u d e s appears, t h e s o l u t i o n need n o t be t h e c a n c e l l i n g of t h e one o r t h e o t h e r , but r a t h e r t h e engineering of a s i t u a t i o n where both l o t s of r e s p e c t can be held simultaneously. I n o t h e r words, t h e s c i e n t i s t with due permission may be a b l e t o handle h i s material with outward marks of r e s p e c t which w i l l s a t i s f y t h e b e l i e v e r .

This a p p l i e s t o t h e question of b u r i a l s and human bones.

J u s t a s t h e d o c t o r is permitted t o handle t h e l i v i n g body, s o t h e anatomist may be a b l e t o handle t h e dead with due reason, permission and r e s p e c t . I f e e l we should enquire more s p e c i f i c a l l y i n t o t h e r e a l a t t i t u d e of modern Aborigines towards t h e dead, e.g. i s it out o f reverence f o r t h e dead, o r t o avoid d i s t u r b i n g t h e s p i r i t o r

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r e l e a s i n g it on t h e l i v i n g . During Professor Hennessy's excavation of T e l e i l a t Ghassul, we a c c i d e n t a l l y dug i n t o a Turkish cemetery and it was not f e a s i b l e t o s h i f t t h e trenches. The f i r s t s k e l e t o n t o appear, i n what was then t h u g h t t o be a C h a l c o l i t h i c b u r i a l , was c a r e f u l l y brushed and l i f t e d (with much l o s s of time) and, only a f t e r a f u r t h e r check on t h e section and on t h e o r i e n t a t i o n of t h e b u r i a l , d i d it become c l e a r t h a t we were dealing with a recent Moslem

interment. Our Arab workers were asked t o give t h e s k e l e t o n a decent r e b u r i a l , with f e e t towards Mecca and two grave-markers. Eventually another s i x Turks appeared and our workers repeated t h e r i t u a l with p a i n t brush and a l l , j u s t a s they had seen t h e i n f i d e l excavators do.

Time was l o s t and Western patience t r i e d , but diplomacy scored admirably as our neat l i t t l e cemetery expanded.

After t h e study of s k e l e t a l m a t e r i a l we should give thought t o t h e i r solemn r e b u r i a l , with a monument and p l e n t y of p u b l i c i t y . Surely c a s t s could be made of bones where a permanent record i s needed.

I t i s a h o r r i f y i n g thought, even f o r white people, t h a t r e a l human bones be on display.

A s i t was pointed out a t t h e ANZAAS conference, Aboriginal consult a t ion and co-operat ion should be sought f o r e x h i b i t i o n s and t h e l i k e

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a f t e r a l l it i s t h e i r people and t h e i r c u l t u r e

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otherwise we display a r e g r e t t a b l e superior a t t i t u d e and bad manners. Local communities could be encouraged (and f i n a n c i a l l y a s s i s t e d ) t o have custody of l o c a l l y faund a r t e f a c t s and t o run l o c a l museums f o r teaching the young and f o r displaying t h e o l d c u l t u r e proudly t o glgubsll. The provision of locked s t o r a g e f o r sacred o b j e c t s has been e n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y received by some connuunities i n A u s t r a l i a . The i d e a of Aboriginal rangers i n n a t i o n a l parks, e s p e c i a l l y those containing rock a r t , meets with general approval and only w a i t s f o r general execution. These matters may concern government, r a t h e r than archaeologists, but our lobbying f o r them would e f f e c t i v e l y show our s i n c e r i t y i n regard t o o t h e r Aboriginal a n t i q u i t i e s .

Eugene Stockton S t . P a t r i c k ' s College MANLY. N.S.W.