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Amy Roberts

Flinders University of South Australia, Archeaology, Faculty Member

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See the following webpages for additional details about my current teaching and research:

1. http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/amy.roberts
2. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amy_Roberts12
3. http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=iXR5j1IAAAAJ&hl=en

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Papers by Amy Roberts

Resolving Dimensions: A Comparison Between ERT Imaging and 3D Modelling of the Barge Crowie, South Australia

Three-dimensional (3D) modelling is becoming a ubiquitous technology for the interpretation of cu... more Three-dimensional (3D) modelling is becoming a ubiquitous technology for the interpretation of cultural heritage objects. However most 3D models are based on geomatic data such as surveying, laser scanning or photogrammetry and therefore rely on the subject of the study being visible. This chapter presents the case study of Crowie, a submerged and partially buried barge wrecked near the town of Morgan in South Australia. Crowie was reconstructed using two alternative approaches; one based on a combination of historic photographs and computer graphics and the second based on geophysical data from electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). ERT has been rarely used for maritime archaeology despite providing 3D representation under challenging survey conditions, such as in shallow and turbid water. ERT was particularly successful on Crowie for mapping the external metal cladding, which was recognisable based on very low resistivity values. An alternative 3D model was created using histori...

From loop-holes to labour: Aboriginal connections to Calperum and Chowilla pastoral stations, South Australia

Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 2021

This paper examines Aboriginal connections to pastoral properties on the western central Murray R... more This paper examines Aboriginal connections to pastoral properties on the western central Murray River, with a focus on Calperum and Chowilla Stations. Station histories are presented, oral histories are explored and archaeological sites and material culture from the period are considered. The range of histories, interactions and “zones of encounter” are then compared to relevant interpretive models in order to highlight some of the myriad complexities relating to invasion, colonisation and pastoralism. In particular, we explore a range of themes, including conflict/violence, place names, traditional activities, rations, labour and more to demonstrate Aboriginal engagements and connection to Country throughout the pastoral era, even during times of significant duress – bringing to the fore otherwise “anonymised”, “hidden” and “contested” narratives. This research was undertaken in collaboration with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC).

Analysis and contextualisation of a Holocene bone point from Murrawong (Glen Lossie), Lower Murray River Gorge, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2021

Abstract This article presents the analysis and preliminary contextualisation of a bone point loc... more Abstract This article presents the analysis and preliminary contextualisation of a bone point located during the Lower Murray Archaeological Project excavations in South Australia in 2008. The artefact was recovered from a midden and burial site, Murrawong (Glen Lossie), and was situated in a layer dating to 5303–3875 cal BP. The artefact was the only bone point recovered during the project and is interpreted as an implement likely to have been used for piercing soft materials or possibly as a projectile point. Its chronology and morphology are generally consistent with previous finds in this region. The analysis presented here contributes to our understanding of bone technology in the Lower Murray River Gorge, highlighting areas where more research is required.

Invasion, retaliation, concealment and silences at Dead Man's Flat, South Australia: A consideration of the historical, archaeological and geophysical evidence of frontier conflict

Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 2021

This article presents the results of historical research, as well as archaeological and geophysic... more This article presents the results of historical research, as well as archaeological and geophysical surveys, in order to explore a number of frontier conflict events at Dead Man’s Flat in South Australia (SA). The historical records reveal the cruelty and complexity of the period and expose the concealments, contradictions, euphemistic language, denials and silences that are typical of the Australian frontier. Further disparities are revealed in more recent commemorative efforts. Archaeological investigations in the study area provided an ‘absence of evidence’. Whilst the geophysical survey revealed that there are potential graves located on the flat, no interment was located in the area commemorated by local non-Indigenous community members. The combined results of this multi-method approach uncovered new dissonances, raised new questions and provided new exegeses about the frontier in this region. For traditional owners, the sum of the evidence reveals a history of invasion, killi...

Ngaut Ngaut Interpretive Project: An Interpretive Guide

A report on a tektite (australite) artefact from Calperum Station in the western central River Murray region, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2020

Abstract This paper reports on the recent discovery of a flaked Australian tektite (australite) a... more Abstract This paper reports on the recent discovery of a flaked Australian tektite (australite) artefact at Calperum Station in the western central River Murray region, South Australia. Reports of provenanced and well-contextualised australite artefacts in Australia are rare and the find reported here is the first known example on the station and its surrounds. As such, this flaked australite allows us to enhance our understanding of the distribution, size, manufacture and use of this natural glass by Aboriginal people.

Morphological analysis and radiocarbon dating of non-returning boomerangs from Cooper Creek/Kinipapa (Northeast South Australia)

Australian Archaeology, 2021

Abstract In this article we present the results of a morphological analysis of four mostly comple... more Abstract In this article we present the results of a morphological analysis of four mostly complete non-returning boomerangs and one shaped wooden fragment recovered in 2017 and 2018 from Cooper Creek near Innamincka in South Australia’s far northeast. This archaeological collection forms one of only six known/published wooden artefact assemblages in the country. We also detail the results of the direct accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) measurement of the artefacts which range from circa 275–175 BP (1650–1830 cal AD, median ages reported). Given that the age estimates obtained for the artefacts are from the recent period, we have complemented the morphological analysis by interpreting the assemblage within the context of ethnohistorical records and Traditional Owner knowledge. The assemblage reveals a variety of forms and functions representative of the diverse cultural activities and daily lives of the Aboriginal people who lived near significant waterholes in the Cooper Creek region during this period. The boomerangs also preserve manufacture and use-wear traces, providing insights into the life histories of each implement. In addition to their likely use as projectiles, our results indicate that the boomerangs were probably used for fighting, hunting, digging, fire management and possibly in ceremonies. Predictions for climate change in the region threaten to alter the conditions that allowed the preservation of these artefacts which may negatively affect the potential survival of other wooden objects that remain in the environment.

Aboriginal serrated and perforated shell artefacts from the Murray River, South Australia

Archaeology in Oceania, 2021

This article describes three freshwater mussel shell artefacts recently documented for the Murray... more This article describes three freshwater mussel shell artefacts recently documented for the Murray River in South Australia. These finds more than double the known examples of such artefacts from this region. Two of the modified shells are perforated, with the other serrated. The finely serrated item is a rare artefact and we have not located any similar published examples in Australia, although international correlates exist. The function/s and cultural significance of the objects are also considered in this paper. Hypotheses for the perforated finds include ornamentation, tool stringing and fibre scraping. Ornamentation, idle tinkering and food utensil use are considered as possible intended functions for the serrated artefact. Given the age range of the objects reported here (c. 6181–517 cal BP), together with other finds in the Murray Darling Basin, we tentatively suggest that shells have been a material resource used continually in this region for a range of purposes. However, as argued by other researchers, we concur that there has probably been infrequent identification and reporting of such shell artefacts. This is considered particularly likely given that our finds were recovered from relatively small scale excavation/coring and surface sampling efforts. As such, this paper attempts to raise awareness of this form of material culture in archaeological sequences.

Connection, trespass, identity and a swastika: mark-making and entanglements at Pudjinuk Rockshelter No. 1, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2019

Pudjinuk Rockshelter No. 1 is one of two small, adjacent shelters located in the limestone cliffs... more

Initial results and observations on a radiocarbon dating program in the Riverland region of South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2020

Abstract This paper presents a preliminary occupation chronology for the Riverland region of Sout... more Abstract This paper presents a preliminary occupation chronology for the Riverland region of South Australia, based on 31 radiocarbon age determinations. This region has represented a significant geographic gap in understanding occupation chronologies for the broader Murray-Darling Basin. The dating forms part of an ongoing research program exploring the long-term engagements of Aboriginal people with the habitat mosaics of the central River Murray corridor. Dating targets were selected on the basis of their landscape context. Results relate occupation evidence to an evolving riverine landscape through the period extending from approximately 29 ka to the late Holocene. These results include the first pre-Last Glacial Maximum ages returned on the River Murray in South Australia and extend the known Aboriginal occupation of the Riverland by approximately 22,000 years.

An investigation of human responses to climatic fluctuations at Allen’s Cave, South Australia, from ca 40,000 to 5,000 BP, by a technological analysis of stone artefacts

Australian Archaeology, 2018

Following its initial occupation ca. 40,000 years ago, Aboriginal people using Allen's Cave in So... more Following its initial occupation ca. 40,000 years ago, Aboriginal people using Allen's Cave in South Australia's arid zone experienced two major climatic changes. From the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) at ca. 30,000 cal. BP, until its peak at ca. 22,000-18,000 cal. BP, aridity in Australia reached its most intense phase during the human occupation of the site. Conversely, conditions around the Allen's Cave region during the early Holocene, 11,000-8,000 cal. BP, were the most favourable for human occupation. In this paper, we present the results of a technological and statistical re-analysis of previously excavated Allen's Cave stone artefact assemblages, focusing on the period ca. 40,000-5,000 cal. BP, to examine whether people made adjustments to stone tool manufacture in response to these climatic fluctuations. Our results and interpretations are consistent with some of the conclusions of previous scholars, primarily that the site was used for infrequent visitation rather than long-term occupation, and that little change occurred in the production of stone artefacts (despite changing environmental conditions). We also concur that lithic evidence exists for trade/ exchange and/or a change in foraging range or stone curation practices at the start of the early Holocene. However, we do not support all prior claims for significant cultural and demographic changes at this time and we argue that Allen's Cave was probably abandoned from ca. 30,000 to 26,000 cal. BP. The ca. 4,000 year hiatus, combined with probable increased visitation after the LGM, suggests that whilst stone tool technology remained largely consistent during the period of focus, Aboriginal people did alter their occupation patterns in response to environmental changes. On the basis of these new interpretations about the site's occupation history, we provide updated observations in order to contribute to desert occupation modelling.

Marine Transgression, Aboriginal Narratives and the Creation of Yorke Peninsula/Guuranda, South Australia

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2019

This paper provides new palaeogeographical reconstructions of the Spencer Gulf and Yorke Peninsul... more This paper provides new palaeogeographical reconstructions of the Spencer Gulf and Yorke Peninsula/Guuranda region of South Australia for the period ca. 20,000-6000 cal. BP. The rich complexity of traditional Aboriginal (Narungga) sea-level narratives is also explored. These narratives, which form a highly significant system of knowledge, are considered together by the Narungga and non-Narungga authors of the paper to generate a new dialogue about Aboriginal traditions and scientific data. The dialogue between the Narungga knowledge systems and palaeogeographic mapping reveals a strong concordance for events/time slices inclusive of the onset of marine transgression, the creation of northern Spencer Gulf and the formation of some islandswhile also establishing that there are deeper complexities inherent within Narungga narratives that demonstrate layers of meaning at multiple scales. The palaeogeographic reconstructions are also considered in relation to the known archaeology and geomorphology of the region as well as new observations arising from this research. Targets for future underwater (and terrestrial) investigation relating to the periods of marine transgression are also outlined.

Early vitrification stages identified in prehistoric earthenware ceramics from northern Chile via SEM

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2017

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to investigate ceramic vitrification stages sinc... more Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to investigate ceramic vitrification stages since the 1970s, however its application has been primarily restricted to stoneware and high-fired ceramics. The purpose of this study was to determine whether stages of vitrification could also be identified in prehistoric low-fired archaeological earthenware ceramics via SEM using northern Chilen samples covering a period c. 2000 to 500 years BP as a case study. This was achieved by visually comparing microstructural changes between original and re-fired ceramic sherds. The microstructural changes identified in this study indicate that the potters who made these vessels achieved early stages of vitrification. This result demonstrates that SEM is a useful technique to investigate the development of firing technology in earthenware manufacture.

The ‘very stillness ofthings’: object biographies of sailcloth and fishing net from the Point Pearce Aboriginal Mission (Burgiyana) colonial archive, South Australia

World Archaeology, 2016

This article details the discovery of early twentieth-century sailcloth and fishing-net samples p... more This article details the discovery of early twentieth-century sailcloth and fishing-net samples pertaining to the lives of Aboriginal peoples on Point Pearce Aboriginal Mission (Burgiyana). Biographies for the samples are explored, from which it is argued that these objects may have many viewpoints assigned to them. The sailcloth and fishing-net samples allow the telling of complex stories from the past and present. These stories include the resilience, adaptability and strength of Narungga culture when exposed to colonial contextual risk. Indeed, these objects reveal the efforts of missions and government agencies to control the lives of Aboriginal peoples (through the lenses of 'racism', paternalism and self-interest), as well as agency and the involvement of Aboriginal peoples in capitalist economies. Objects as subjects can also reveal ongoing struggles for traditional and commercial fishing rightswith the aforementioned being informed by the traditional knowledge and lived experiences of Narungga peoples.

Stone Artefacts From The Beltana Region, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2001

DMC 8, seven were found. Whether (or which of) the artefacts are now beneath the surface of the d... more DMC 8, seven were found. Whether (or which of) the artefacts are now beneath the surface of the deposit, or have eroded downhill in front of the shelters, or are obscured by vegetation is not known. In one shelter (DMC 7) a section of deposit is situated behind large rocks. Ten artefacts were placed in this section, only one was visible in 2000. In this case it seems likely the others are now buried, probably by treadage and scuffage (it is close to a popular walking track). At the end of the project patterns of movement for each artefact will be drawn (excavation may be undertaken to find missing artefacts). A full evaluation of the project will be reported at a later date.

A multidisciplinary investigation of a rock coating at Ngaut Ngaut (Devon Downs), South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2015

This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary investigation into a dark rock coating at ... more This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary investigation into a dark rock coating at the Ngaut Ngaut heritage complex in South Australia (SA) using geological and botanical examination, Raman microscopy, x-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and infrared analyses. The coating analysed contains a mixture of calcite, quartz, gypsum and weddellite. The presence of calcite and quartz can be explained by the underlying clastic fossiliferous limestone, while the most probable explanation for the origin of the gypsum is via ground water. The weddellite was likely formed from solutions derived from the reaction of calcite with oxalic acid through the intervention of surface microflora, such as algae. This article provides the first record of weddellite in any context in SA. These findings have a number of implications-one being that the oxalate mineral in the rock coating could potentially be used to conduct accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon analysis and thereby refine our understanding of the rock art chronology at Ngaut Ngaut. A greater understanding of the rates of accumulation may also be useful for management purposes, as the nature of the rock coating may be contributing to long-term exfoliation. Indeed, it is argued that algal colonisation of the limestone (together with other probable microfloral activities) is likely involved in the production of a film over the porous surface, leading to salt weathering.

“They Planned Their Calendar… They Set Up Ready for What They Wanted to Feed the Tribe”: A First-Stage Analysis of Narungga Fish Traps on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2015

ABSTRACT This article outlines “first stage” research into Aboriginal fish traps located on Yorke... more ABSTRACT This article outlines “first stage” research into Aboriginal fish traps located on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. The project was undertaken by Flinders University researchers in collaboration with the Indigenous traditional owners of the region—the Narungga people. The research aimed to achieve a range of objectives including obtaining basic data as to the location and types of fish traps in the region as well as contextualizing these fish capture facilities in a variety of ways via traditional knowledge and contemporary perspectives, a consideration of temporal issues, a reflection on the role of traps in the Narungga coastal economy, and through reference to broader discussions (both nationally and internationally) concerning the timing and economic/socio-cultural importance of these technological innovations. Narungga knowledge systems and perspectives recorded in relation to the fish traps reveal multifaceted relationships between the community and their environment as well as associated religious/ritual engagement and cosmological knowledge. Comparison with neighboring areas reveals that the role of fish traps in coastal economies in the broader South Australia region is differential. Our observations also align with the conceptual approaches of prior researchers who have used fish traps to infer the existence or at least emergence of detailed socio-cultural organization in a late Holocene context.

Sharing the Process: Statewide Fishing and Aquaculture Indigenous Land Use Agreements in South Australia

A report on the exhibition 'Children, Boats and "Hidden Histories": Crayon drawings by Aboriginal children at Point Pearce Mission (Burgiyana) (South Australia), 1939

This paper reports on a recent exhibition 'Children, Boats and 'Hidden Histories': Cr... more This paper reports on a recent exhibition 'Children, Boats and 'Hidden Histories': Crayon drawings by Aboriginal children at Point Pearce Mission (Burgiyana) (South Australia [SA]), 1939'. The exhibit was displayed in the South Australian Maritime Museum (1 Feb–31 July 2014) and was curated by Roberts, Fowler and Sansbury (Fig.1). The exhibition featured nine framed crayon drawings (facsimiles) as well as a large interpretive panel. The drawings were collected in 1939 by Dorothy Tindale and Bee Birdsell at the Point Pearce Aboriginal Mission (Burgiyana) in South Australia. These artworks form just one component of a much larger assemblage of information and objects collected during the Board for Anthropological Research's Harvard and Adelaide Universities' Anthropological Expedition (1938–9) (see South Australian Museum [2014] for more information about the Board's activities as well as sections below). A total of 91 crayon drawings were collected from th...

The Ngaut Ngaut Interpretive Project: Collaboration and mutually beneficial outcomes

Resolving Dimensions: A Comparison Between ERT Imaging and 3D Modelling of the Barge Crowie, South Australia

Three-dimensional (3D) modelling is becoming a ubiquitous technology for the interpretation of cu... more Three-dimensional (3D) modelling is becoming a ubiquitous technology for the interpretation of cultural heritage objects. However most 3D models are based on geomatic data such as surveying, laser scanning or photogrammetry and therefore rely on the subject of the study being visible. This chapter presents the case study of Crowie, a submerged and partially buried barge wrecked near the town of Morgan in South Australia. Crowie was reconstructed using two alternative approaches; one based on a combination of historic photographs and computer graphics and the second based on geophysical data from electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). ERT has been rarely used for maritime archaeology despite providing 3D representation under challenging survey conditions, such as in shallow and turbid water. ERT was particularly successful on Crowie for mapping the external metal cladding, which was recognisable based on very low resistivity values. An alternative 3D model was created using histori...

From loop-holes to labour: Aboriginal connections to Calperum and Chowilla pastoral stations, South Australia

Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 2021

This paper examines Aboriginal connections to pastoral properties on the western central Murray R... more This paper examines Aboriginal connections to pastoral properties on the western central Murray River, with a focus on Calperum and Chowilla Stations. Station histories are presented, oral histories are explored and archaeological sites and material culture from the period are considered. The range of histories, interactions and “zones of encounter” are then compared to relevant interpretive models in order to highlight some of the myriad complexities relating to invasion, colonisation and pastoralism. In particular, we explore a range of themes, including conflict/violence, place names, traditional activities, rations, labour and more to demonstrate Aboriginal engagements and connection to Country throughout the pastoral era, even during times of significant duress – bringing to the fore otherwise “anonymised”, “hidden” and “contested” narratives. This research was undertaken in collaboration with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC).

Analysis and contextualisation of a Holocene bone point from Murrawong (Glen Lossie), Lower Murray River Gorge, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2021

Abstract This article presents the analysis and preliminary contextualisation of a bone point loc... more Abstract This article presents the analysis and preliminary contextualisation of a bone point located during the Lower Murray Archaeological Project excavations in South Australia in 2008. The artefact was recovered from a midden and burial site, Murrawong (Glen Lossie), and was situated in a layer dating to 5303–3875 cal BP. The artefact was the only bone point recovered during the project and is interpreted as an implement likely to have been used for piercing soft materials or possibly as a projectile point. Its chronology and morphology are generally consistent with previous finds in this region. The analysis presented here contributes to our understanding of bone technology in the Lower Murray River Gorge, highlighting areas where more research is required.

Invasion, retaliation, concealment and silences at Dead Man's Flat, South Australia: A consideration of the historical, archaeological and geophysical evidence of frontier conflict

Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 2021

This article presents the results of historical research, as well as archaeological and geophysic... more This article presents the results of historical research, as well as archaeological and geophysical surveys, in order to explore a number of frontier conflict events at Dead Man’s Flat in South Australia (SA). The historical records reveal the cruelty and complexity of the period and expose the concealments, contradictions, euphemistic language, denials and silences that are typical of the Australian frontier. Further disparities are revealed in more recent commemorative efforts. Archaeological investigations in the study area provided an ‘absence of evidence’. Whilst the geophysical survey revealed that there are potential graves located on the flat, no interment was located in the area commemorated by local non-Indigenous community members. The combined results of this multi-method approach uncovered new dissonances, raised new questions and provided new exegeses about the frontier in this region. For traditional owners, the sum of the evidence reveals a history of invasion, killi...

Ngaut Ngaut Interpretive Project: An Interpretive Guide

A report on a tektite (australite) artefact from Calperum Station in the western central River Murray region, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2020

Abstract This paper reports on the recent discovery of a flaked Australian tektite (australite) a... more Abstract This paper reports on the recent discovery of a flaked Australian tektite (australite) artefact at Calperum Station in the western central River Murray region, South Australia. Reports of provenanced and well-contextualised australite artefacts in Australia are rare and the find reported here is the first known example on the station and its surrounds. As such, this flaked australite allows us to enhance our understanding of the distribution, size, manufacture and use of this natural glass by Aboriginal people.

Morphological analysis and radiocarbon dating of non-returning boomerangs from Cooper Creek/Kinipapa (Northeast South Australia)

Australian Archaeology, 2021

Abstract In this article we present the results of a morphological analysis of four mostly comple... more Abstract In this article we present the results of a morphological analysis of four mostly complete non-returning boomerangs and one shaped wooden fragment recovered in 2017 and 2018 from Cooper Creek near Innamincka in South Australia’s far northeast. This archaeological collection forms one of only six known/published wooden artefact assemblages in the country. We also detail the results of the direct accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) measurement of the artefacts which range from circa 275–175 BP (1650–1830 cal AD, median ages reported). Given that the age estimates obtained for the artefacts are from the recent period, we have complemented the morphological analysis by interpreting the assemblage within the context of ethnohistorical records and Traditional Owner knowledge. The assemblage reveals a variety of forms and functions representative of the diverse cultural activities and daily lives of the Aboriginal people who lived near significant waterholes in the Cooper Creek region during this period. The boomerangs also preserve manufacture and use-wear traces, providing insights into the life histories of each implement. In addition to their likely use as projectiles, our results indicate that the boomerangs were probably used for fighting, hunting, digging, fire management and possibly in ceremonies. Predictions for climate change in the region threaten to alter the conditions that allowed the preservation of these artefacts which may negatively affect the potential survival of other wooden objects that remain in the environment.

Aboriginal serrated and perforated shell artefacts from the Murray River, South Australia

Archaeology in Oceania, 2021

This article describes three freshwater mussel shell artefacts recently documented for the Murray... more This article describes three freshwater mussel shell artefacts recently documented for the Murray River in South Australia. These finds more than double the known examples of such artefacts from this region. Two of the modified shells are perforated, with the other serrated. The finely serrated item is a rare artefact and we have not located any similar published examples in Australia, although international correlates exist. The function/s and cultural significance of the objects are also considered in this paper. Hypotheses for the perforated finds include ornamentation, tool stringing and fibre scraping. Ornamentation, idle tinkering and food utensil use are considered as possible intended functions for the serrated artefact. Given the age range of the objects reported here (c. 6181–517 cal BP), together with other finds in the Murray Darling Basin, we tentatively suggest that shells have been a material resource used continually in this region for a range of purposes. However, as argued by other researchers, we concur that there has probably been infrequent identification and reporting of such shell artefacts. This is considered particularly likely given that our finds were recovered from relatively small scale excavation/coring and surface sampling efforts. As such, this paper attempts to raise awareness of this form of material culture in archaeological sequences.

Connection, trespass, identity and a swastika: mark-making and entanglements at Pudjinuk Rockshelter No. 1, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2019

Pudjinuk Rockshelter No. 1 is one of two small, adjacent shelters located in the limestone cliffs... more

Initial results and observations on a radiocarbon dating program in the Riverland region of South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2020

Abstract This paper presents a preliminary occupation chronology for the Riverland region of Sout... more Abstract This paper presents a preliminary occupation chronology for the Riverland region of South Australia, based on 31 radiocarbon age determinations. This region has represented a significant geographic gap in understanding occupation chronologies for the broader Murray-Darling Basin. The dating forms part of an ongoing research program exploring the long-term engagements of Aboriginal people with the habitat mosaics of the central River Murray corridor. Dating targets were selected on the basis of their landscape context. Results relate occupation evidence to an evolving riverine landscape through the period extending from approximately 29 ka to the late Holocene. These results include the first pre-Last Glacial Maximum ages returned on the River Murray in South Australia and extend the known Aboriginal occupation of the Riverland by approximately 22,000 years.

An investigation of human responses to climatic fluctuations at Allen’s Cave, South Australia, from ca 40,000 to 5,000 BP, by a technological analysis of stone artefacts

Australian Archaeology, 2018

Following its initial occupation ca. 40,000 years ago, Aboriginal people using Allen's Cave in So... more Following its initial occupation ca. 40,000 years ago, Aboriginal people using Allen's Cave in South Australia's arid zone experienced two major climatic changes. From the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) at ca. 30,000 cal. BP, until its peak at ca. 22,000-18,000 cal. BP, aridity in Australia reached its most intense phase during the human occupation of the site. Conversely, conditions around the Allen's Cave region during the early Holocene, 11,000-8,000 cal. BP, were the most favourable for human occupation. In this paper, we present the results of a technological and statistical re-analysis of previously excavated Allen's Cave stone artefact assemblages, focusing on the period ca. 40,000-5,000 cal. BP, to examine whether people made adjustments to stone tool manufacture in response to these climatic fluctuations. Our results and interpretations are consistent with some of the conclusions of previous scholars, primarily that the site was used for infrequent visitation rather than long-term occupation, and that little change occurred in the production of stone artefacts (despite changing environmental conditions). We also concur that lithic evidence exists for trade/ exchange and/or a change in foraging range or stone curation practices at the start of the early Holocene. However, we do not support all prior claims for significant cultural and demographic changes at this time and we argue that Allen's Cave was probably abandoned from ca. 30,000 to 26,000 cal. BP. The ca. 4,000 year hiatus, combined with probable increased visitation after the LGM, suggests that whilst stone tool technology remained largely consistent during the period of focus, Aboriginal people did alter their occupation patterns in response to environmental changes. On the basis of these new interpretations about the site's occupation history, we provide updated observations in order to contribute to desert occupation modelling.

Marine Transgression, Aboriginal Narratives and the Creation of Yorke Peninsula/Guuranda, South Australia

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2019

This paper provides new palaeogeographical reconstructions of the Spencer Gulf and Yorke Peninsul... more This paper provides new palaeogeographical reconstructions of the Spencer Gulf and Yorke Peninsula/Guuranda region of South Australia for the period ca. 20,000-6000 cal. BP. The rich complexity of traditional Aboriginal (Narungga) sea-level narratives is also explored. These narratives, which form a highly significant system of knowledge, are considered together by the Narungga and non-Narungga authors of the paper to generate a new dialogue about Aboriginal traditions and scientific data. The dialogue between the Narungga knowledge systems and palaeogeographic mapping reveals a strong concordance for events/time slices inclusive of the onset of marine transgression, the creation of northern Spencer Gulf and the formation of some islandswhile also establishing that there are deeper complexities inherent within Narungga narratives that demonstrate layers of meaning at multiple scales. The palaeogeographic reconstructions are also considered in relation to the known archaeology and geomorphology of the region as well as new observations arising from this research. Targets for future underwater (and terrestrial) investigation relating to the periods of marine transgression are also outlined.

Early vitrification stages identified in prehistoric earthenware ceramics from northern Chile via SEM

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2017

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to investigate ceramic vitrification stages sinc... more Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to investigate ceramic vitrification stages since the 1970s, however its application has been primarily restricted to stoneware and high-fired ceramics. The purpose of this study was to determine whether stages of vitrification could also be identified in prehistoric low-fired archaeological earthenware ceramics via SEM using northern Chilen samples covering a period c. 2000 to 500 years BP as a case study. This was achieved by visually comparing microstructural changes between original and re-fired ceramic sherds. The microstructural changes identified in this study indicate that the potters who made these vessels achieved early stages of vitrification. This result demonstrates that SEM is a useful technique to investigate the development of firing technology in earthenware manufacture.

The ‘very stillness ofthings’: object biographies of sailcloth and fishing net from the Point Pearce Aboriginal Mission (Burgiyana) colonial archive, South Australia

World Archaeology, 2016

This article details the discovery of early twentieth-century sailcloth and fishing-net samples p... more This article details the discovery of early twentieth-century sailcloth and fishing-net samples pertaining to the lives of Aboriginal peoples on Point Pearce Aboriginal Mission (Burgiyana). Biographies for the samples are explored, from which it is argued that these objects may have many viewpoints assigned to them. The sailcloth and fishing-net samples allow the telling of complex stories from the past and present. These stories include the resilience, adaptability and strength of Narungga culture when exposed to colonial contextual risk. Indeed, these objects reveal the efforts of missions and government agencies to control the lives of Aboriginal peoples (through the lenses of 'racism', paternalism and self-interest), as well as agency and the involvement of Aboriginal peoples in capitalist economies. Objects as subjects can also reveal ongoing struggles for traditional and commercial fishing rightswith the aforementioned being informed by the traditional knowledge and lived experiences of Narungga peoples.

Stone Artefacts From The Beltana Region, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2001

DMC 8, seven were found. Whether (or which of) the artefacts are now beneath the surface of the d... more DMC 8, seven were found. Whether (or which of) the artefacts are now beneath the surface of the deposit, or have eroded downhill in front of the shelters, or are obscured by vegetation is not known. In one shelter (DMC 7) a section of deposit is situated behind large rocks. Ten artefacts were placed in this section, only one was visible in 2000. In this case it seems likely the others are now buried, probably by treadage and scuffage (it is close to a popular walking track). At the end of the project patterns of movement for each artefact will be drawn (excavation may be undertaken to find missing artefacts). A full evaluation of the project will be reported at a later date.

A multidisciplinary investigation of a rock coating at Ngaut Ngaut (Devon Downs), South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2015

This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary investigation into a dark rock coating at ... more This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary investigation into a dark rock coating at the Ngaut Ngaut heritage complex in South Australia (SA) using geological and botanical examination, Raman microscopy, x-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and infrared analyses. The coating analysed contains a mixture of calcite, quartz, gypsum and weddellite. The presence of calcite and quartz can be explained by the underlying clastic fossiliferous limestone, while the most probable explanation for the origin of the gypsum is via ground water. The weddellite was likely formed from solutions derived from the reaction of calcite with oxalic acid through the intervention of surface microflora, such as algae. This article provides the first record of weddellite in any context in SA. These findings have a number of implications-one being that the oxalate mineral in the rock coating could potentially be used to conduct accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon analysis and thereby refine our understanding of the rock art chronology at Ngaut Ngaut. A greater understanding of the rates of accumulation may also be useful for management purposes, as the nature of the rock coating may be contributing to long-term exfoliation. Indeed, it is argued that algal colonisation of the limestone (together with other probable microfloral activities) is likely involved in the production of a film over the porous surface, leading to salt weathering.

“They Planned Their Calendar… They Set Up Ready for What They Wanted to Feed the Tribe”: A First-Stage Analysis of Narungga Fish Traps on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2015

ABSTRACT This article outlines “first stage” research into Aboriginal fish traps located on Yorke... more ABSTRACT This article outlines “first stage” research into Aboriginal fish traps located on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. The project was undertaken by Flinders University researchers in collaboration with the Indigenous traditional owners of the region—the Narungga people. The research aimed to achieve a range of objectives including obtaining basic data as to the location and types of fish traps in the region as well as contextualizing these fish capture facilities in a variety of ways via traditional knowledge and contemporary perspectives, a consideration of temporal issues, a reflection on the role of traps in the Narungga coastal economy, and through reference to broader discussions (both nationally and internationally) concerning the timing and economic/socio-cultural importance of these technological innovations. Narungga knowledge systems and perspectives recorded in relation to the fish traps reveal multifaceted relationships between the community and their environment as well as associated religious/ritual engagement and cosmological knowledge. Comparison with neighboring areas reveals that the role of fish traps in coastal economies in the broader South Australia region is differential. Our observations also align with the conceptual approaches of prior researchers who have used fish traps to infer the existence or at least emergence of detailed socio-cultural organization in a late Holocene context.

Sharing the Process: Statewide Fishing and Aquaculture Indigenous Land Use Agreements in South Australia

A report on the exhibition 'Children, Boats and "Hidden Histories": Crayon drawings by Aboriginal children at Point Pearce Mission (Burgiyana) (South Australia), 1939

This paper reports on a recent exhibition 'Children, Boats and 'Hidden Histories': Cr... more This paper reports on a recent exhibition 'Children, Boats and 'Hidden Histories': Crayon drawings by Aboriginal children at Point Pearce Mission (Burgiyana) (South Australia [SA]), 1939'. The exhibit was displayed in the South Australian Maritime Museum (1 Feb–31 July 2014) and was curated by Roberts, Fowler and Sansbury (Fig.1). The exhibition featured nine framed crayon drawings (facsimiles) as well as a large interpretive panel. The drawings were collected in 1939 by Dorothy Tindale and Bee Birdsell at the Point Pearce Aboriginal Mission (Burgiyana) in South Australia. These artworks form just one component of a much larger assemblage of information and objects collected during the Board for Anthropological Research's Harvard and Adelaide Universities' Anthropological Expedition (1938–9) (see South Australian Museum [2014] for more information about the Board's activities as well as sections below). A total of 91 crayon drawings were collected from th...

The Ngaut Ngaut Interpretive Project: Collaboration and mutually beneficial outcomes

Who cares? Indigenous cultural heritage protection in Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2024

The sounds of colonization: An examination of bells at Point Pearce Aboriginal Mission Station/Burgiyana, South Australia

The Sound of Silence: Indigenous Perspectives on the Historical Archaeology of Colonialism, 2019

Resolving dimensions: A comparison between ERT imaging and 3D modelling of the barge Crowie, South Australia

by Kleanthis Simyrdanis, Amy Roberts, Marian Bailey, and Kurt Bennett

Combining Indigenous and Maritime Archaeological Approaches: Experiences and Insights from the '(Re)locating Narrunga Project', Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

by Jennifer McKinnon and Amy Roberts

This paper details the unique pairing of Indigenous and maritime archaeological approaches in the... more This paper details the unique pairing of Indigenous and maritime archaeological approaches in the '(Re)locating Narrunga Project'. Narrunga was a ketch built by the Narungga Aboriginal community at Point Pearce Mission (Yorke Peninsula, South Australia) at the turn of the twentieth century and later sunk in the 1940s. It is argued that convergences between the scholarly interests of Indigenous and maritime archaeological approaches have been slow to develop and that maritime archaeology as a sub-discipline has not capitalized on the insights that can be gained from collaborative approaches between communities and practitioners. Similarly, Indigenous communities in Australia have had few opportunities to work with researchers to record their maritime heritage. As is evident in the Narrunga story told in this research, non-Indigenous records have been complicit in underplaying the maritime achievements and skills of Narungga people and collaborative research can work towards decolonizing this past.

Burgiyana and Waraldi: A radiocarbon chronology for a selection of coastal and island archaeological sites on Yorke Peninsula/Guuranda, South Australia

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2024

Archaeology on the edge: radiocarbon chronologies for Aboriginal cliff-top sites of the Murray River, South Australia

Radiocarbon, 2024

Aboriginal earth mounds and ENSO on the Calperum floodplain, Murray-Darling Basin, South Australia

The Holocene, 2024

Calibrating Holocene human–environment interactions using ancient narratives: The example of Ngurunderi in South Australia

Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2024

Wurranderra’s Symbols: An Exploration and Contextualisation of the Thurk (Kingston-on-Murray) Petroglyph Site on the Murray River, South Australia

Rock Art Research, 2024

An archaeological example of Aboriginal management of a hydro-ecological system in the Murray River valley, South Australia

Marine and Freshwater Research, 2023

‘Braiding Knowledge’ about the peopling of the River Murray (Rinta) in South Australia: Ancestral narratives, geomorphological interpretations and archaeological evidence

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2023

Reply to the discussion by Gell and Finlayson

Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 2023

Ochre, flint and violence: an Aboriginal history of the Ma:ko region (Overland Corner)

Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 2022

Earth oven cookery and cuisines in Aboriginal Australia: Ethnographic and ethnohistoric insights from Western Cape York Peninsula and the Southern Murray Darling Basin

Australian Archaeology, 2022

An exploration of the ceramic technology of a northern Chilean community, evidence from the Caleta Vitor Archaeological Complex

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2022

Aboriginal earth mounds of the Calperum Floodplain (Murray Darling Basin, South Australia): New radiocarbon dates, sediment analyses and syntheses, and implications for behavioural change

The Holocene

New data and syntheses for the zooarchaeological record from the Lower Murray River Gorge, South Australia: Applying a ngatji lens

Australian Archaeology, 2022

Holocene freshwater history of the Lower River Murray and its terminal lakes, Alexandrina and Albert, South Australia, and its relevance to contemporary environmental management

Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 2022

From loop-holes to labour: Aboriginal connections to Calperum and Chowilla pastoral stations, South Australia

Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 2021

This paper examines Aboriginal connections to pastoral properties on the western central Murray R... more This paper examines Aboriginal connections to pastoral properties on the western central Murray River, with a focus on Calperum and Chowilla Stations. Station histories are presented, oral histories are explored and archaeological sites and material culture from the period are considered. The range of histories, interactions and “zones of encounter” are then compared to relevant interpretive models in order to highlight some of the myriad complexities relating to invasion, colonisation and pastoralism. In particular, we explore a range of themes, including conflict/violence, place names, traditional activities, rations, labour and more to demonstrate Aboriginal engagements and connection to Country throughout the pastoral era, even during times of significant duress – bringing to the fore otherwise “anonymised”, “hidden” and “contested” narratives. This research was undertaken in collaboration with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC).

Morphological analysis and radiocarbon dating of non-returning boomerangs from Cooper Creek/Kinipapa (Northeast South Australia)

Australian Archaeology, 2021

Aboriginal Serrated and Perforated Shell Artefacts from the Murray River, South Australia

Archaeology in Oceania, 2021

This article describes three freshwater mussel shell artefacts recently documented for the Murray... more This article describes three freshwater mussel shell artefacts recently documented for the Murray River in South Australia. These finds more than double the known examples of such artefacts from this region. Two of the modified shells are perforated, with the other serrated. The finely serrated item is a rare artefact and we have not located any similar published examples in Australia, although international correlates exist. The function/s and cultural significance of the objects are also considered in this paper. Hypotheses for the perforated finds include ornamentation, tool stringing and fibre scraping. Ornamentation, idle tinkering and food utensil use are considered as possible intended functions for the serrated artefact. Given the age range of the objects reported here (c. 6181–517 cal BP), together with other finds in the Murray Darling Basin, we tentatively suggest that shells have been a material resource used continually in this region for a range of purposes. However, as argued by other researchers, we concur that there has probably been infrequent identification and reporting of such shell artefacts. This is considered particularly likely given that our finds were recovered from relatively small scale excavation/coring and surface sampling efforts. As such, this paper attempts to raise awareness of this form of material culture in archaeological sequences.

Initial results and observations on a radiocarbon dating program in the Riverland region of South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2020

A report on a tektite (australite) artefact from Calperum Station in the western central River Murray region, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2020

Connection, trespass, identity and a swastika: mark-making and entanglements at Pudjinuk Rockshelter No. 1, South Australia

Australian Archaeology, 2020

Combining Indigenous and maritime archaeological approaches: Experiences and insights from the '(Re)locating Narrunga Project', Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

by Madeline Fowler, Amy Roberts, and Jennifer McKinnon

(2017) ‘They call ’im Crowie’: an investigation of the Aboriginal significance attributed to a wrecked River Murray barge in South Australia

by Amy Roberts, Wendy van Duivenvoorde, and Jarrad Kowlessar

The Indigenous intangible heritage related to wrecked vessels has been poorly studied and documen... more The Indigenous intangible heritage related to wrecked vessels has been poorly studied and documented. This article provides a counter to dominant maritime archaeology discourses via the investigation of the Aboriginal significance attributed to a wrecked and submerged RiverMurray barge (Crowie) in South Australia. There are numerous layers of Aboriginal significance that may be attributed to Crowie including the relationship of the community with their ‘underwater country’, Indigenous contributions to the riverboat industry, and the use of Aboriginal terms in vessel-naming practices. Geophysical data from multibeam and sidescan sonar surveys allowed for confirmation of the proposed location of the wreck and through comparison with historical descriptions and photographs provided evidence to substantiate the assignation of the wreck as the Crowie barge.