... Citation: Pleistocene colonisation of the Bismark Archipelago : new evidence from West New Br... more ... Citation: Pleistocene colonisation of the Bismark Archipelago : new evidence from West New Britain / R. Torrence, V. Neall, T. Doelman, E. Rhodes, C. McKee, H. Davies, R. Bonetti, A. Guglielmetti, A. Manzoni, M. Oddone, J. Parr, C. Wallace. - In: Archaeology in Oceania. ...
The Editors offer sincere thanks to all the following individuals who have generously given their... more The Editors offer sincere thanks to all the following individuals who have generously given their time to review papers, and to our Editorial Advisory Board members. We note that a small number of our referees have requested that their names not appear in this list, but we also thank them for their contributions. The conscientious approach that all referees have adopted in their reviews makes our task much easier and we are grateful for this. We have no doubt that their considered feedback has been of benefit to our authors, guiding them in making revisions that have contributed to the overall high standard of the papers in this journal.
Morphological variation of scrapers from two artefact concentrations in the Stud Creek catchment,... more Morphological variation of scrapers from two artefact concentrations in the Stud Creek catchment, northwest New South Wales (NSW) is examined to investigate whether variation in retouch fits best with a segmented, continuum or composite model. Technological and typological analyses are used to characterise morphological variation. The results clearly show that a composite model, associated with a plurality in the purposes of retouching and in the nature of tool-use prior to discard, is applicable. We argue that the cautious use of typology, requiring phases of hypothesis development and testing, can play an important role in elucidating the nature of morphological variation.
Although Aboriginal occupation dates to the Pleistocene, silcrete artifacts only begin to dominat... more Although Aboriginal occupation dates to the Pleistocene, silcrete artifacts only begin to dominate archaeological sites found in the Cumberland Plain of western Sydney, eastern Australia, during the mid-late Holocene. These assemblages routinely include large numbers of backed artifacts. A geoarchaeological survey of five potential silcrete source areas found that silcrete is irregularly distributed along ridgelines within gravel patches that represent paleochannel remnants. Thus, particular parts of the landscape, dictated by the geological history, were more likely to be targeted for stone procurement. The quality of silcrete differs between and within the sources due to variations in grain-size, degree of silicification, and presence of inclusions/fractures, as well as the destructive influence of bush fires on exposed cobbles, resulting in an overall low abundance of high-quality silcrete across the Cumberland Plain. Furthermore, a rind or chalky weathering cortex on many cobbles means that testing was required to assess the internal raw material quality. The difficulty in locating suitable raw material for artifact manufacture meant that when good silcrete sources were found, they were heavily targeted. This contextual information provides an essential backdrop in which to understand the archaeology of the Cumberland Plain and broader patterns of landscape use.
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2006
ABSTRACT Prehistoric obsidian samples from the Trobriand and the northern D'Entrecasteaux Isl... more ABSTRACT Prehistoric obsidian samples from the Trobriand and the northern D'Entrecasteaux Islands are sourced by relative density and PIXE-PIGME to outcrops in the Fergusson Island area. Sites close to the western sources seem to have been supplied by ...
Recent studies have highlighted the long-distance transport of obsidian from the Paektusan (Tianc... more Recent studies have highlighted the long-distance transport of obsidian from the Paektusan (Tianchi or Baitoushan in Chinese) volcano on the border between China and North Korea to eastern Russia and Korea, but little is known about the role of the local population in the production and movement or exchange of this important raw material. This paper addresses this data lacuna
Abstract This paper reviews burin blade core reduction methods in Australia, demonstrating that t... more Abstract This paper reviews burin blade core reduction methods in Australia, demonstrating that they were used to produce small blades during the mid- to late Holocene, but tended to be limited to a few discrete geographical regions. We present new evidence from two surface sites in south central Queensland that extend this view. At one of these sites the burin blade cores have a very broad size range, and include many specimens that are much larger than the norm. Size difference had little bearing on the techniques employed to reduce the cores, but the larger specimens tend to be more weathered. We suggest that this may reflect a technological sequence in the region whereby the use of burin blade core methods to produce small tools typical of the mid- to late Holocene period was preceded by an earlier application of this technology to produce larger blades.
The process of ventral thinning in Australian lithic technology is usually limited to (i) the pre... more The process of ventral thinning in Australian lithic technology is usually limited to (i) the preparation of bifacial points or (ii) reduction of the bulbar surface to facilitate hafting. In this paper we describe a number of flakes from south central Queensland (Qld) that exhibit ventral thinning beyond the bulbar region, yet do not fulfil the traditional typological criteria of Australian bifacial points. We then consider how similar artefacts from other parts of the world have been interpreted. Our provisional conclusion is that there may not be a universal explanation for the process of ventral thinning, but at least some of the south central Qld artefacts appear to be formal tools that bear some relationship to bifacial points. We also suggest that similar tools may be present in early Holocene and late Pleistocene deposits at Kenniff Cave. In sum, this evidence lends qualified support to McNiven’s (1993) hypothesis that bifacial point technology was diffused across parts of Ql...
Abstract The analysis of Quarry 35, located in the arid zone of Australia, is used to gain an und... more Abstract The analysis of Quarry 35, located in the arid zone of Australia, is used to gain an understanding of how and why tools were discarded at this location. This aim is achieved by focusing on the different processes of tool discard identified by Shott (1989) to contrast how curation and expediency contributed to the formation of a quarry assemblage. The results show that, although there is a continuum in the degree of retouch and hence their use-lives, most of the tools can be defined as expedient. At Quarry 35 Blade core preparation and the manufacture of blades account for the bulk of the assemblage, but the subsequent working of blanks into curated Blade tools had little impact on assemblage composition. Yet, it is these tool types that reflect the greatest amount of planning time and labour invested in their manufacture. Consequently, at Quarry 35 curation and expediency operate as dual, equally important, tool-using strategies employed by highly mobile hunter-gatherer groups to successfully organise their lithic technology.
Abstract Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) analysis was applied to silcrete artefacts from surfa... more Abstract Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) analysis was applied to silcrete artefacts from surface concentrations in the southern Arcadia Valley, eastern Australia. These artefacts were manufactured from river cobbles, as shown by the waterworn cortex, and could have been obtained from three sources: Dawson River, Carnarvon Creek and/or Clematis Creek. PXRF analyses of cobbles from these sites, evaluated using nonparametric statistics (because the data are skewed) and confidence ellipses, showed that the three sources can be distinguished by their Fe and Zr concentrations. Comparison with artefact analyses showed that many artefacts were probably sourced from Clematis Creek, with a substantial number from Dawson River but few, if any, from Carnarvon Creek. The sourcing pattern indicates that Aboriginal people in the Arcadia Valley were influenced not only by proximity when procuring silcrete, but also quality, cobble size and traditional mobility strategies. Carnarvon Creek was ignored because of its distance from the artefact sites and lower quality silcrete. Clematis Creek was the most favoured source because although distant from the artefact sites, it contained large silcrete cobbles (sufficient for the manufacture of large scrapers and knives), and was probably visited frequently due to its central location in the traditional country of the Karingbal People.
Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) analysis was applied to silcrete artefacts from surface concen... more Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) analysis was applied to silcrete artefacts from surface concentrations in the southern Arcadia Valley, eastern Australia. These artefacts were manufactured from river cobbles, as shown by the waterworn cortex, and could have been obtained from three sources: Dawson River, Carnarvon Creek and/ or Clematis Creek. PXRF analyses of cobbles from these sites, evaluated using nonparametric statistics (because the data are skewed) and confidence ellipses, showed that the three sources can be distinguished by their Fe and Zr concentrations. Comparison with artefact analyses showed that many artefacts were probably sourced from Clematis Creek, with a substantial number from Dawson River but few, if any, from Carnarvon Creek. The sourcing pattern indicates that Aboriginal people in the Arcadia Valley were influenced not only by proximity when procuring silcrete, but also quality, cobble size and traditional mobility strategies. Carnarvon Creek was ignored bec...
... Citation: Pleistocene colonisation of the Bismark Archipelago : new evidence from West New Br... more ... Citation: Pleistocene colonisation of the Bismark Archipelago : new evidence from West New Britain / R. Torrence, V. Neall, T. Doelman, E. Rhodes, C. McKee, H. Davies, R. Bonetti, A. Guglielmetti, A. Manzoni, M. Oddone, J. Parr, C. Wallace. - In: Archaeology in Oceania. ...
The Editors offer sincere thanks to all the following individuals who have generously given their... more The Editors offer sincere thanks to all the following individuals who have generously given their time to review papers, and to our Editorial Advisory Board members. We note that a small number of our referees have requested that their names not appear in this list, but we also thank them for their contributions. The conscientious approach that all referees have adopted in their reviews makes our task much easier and we are grateful for this. We have no doubt that their considered feedback has been of benefit to our authors, guiding them in making revisions that have contributed to the overall high standard of the papers in this journal.
Morphological variation of scrapers from two artefact concentrations in the Stud Creek catchment,... more Morphological variation of scrapers from two artefact concentrations in the Stud Creek catchment, northwest New South Wales (NSW) is examined to investigate whether variation in retouch fits best with a segmented, continuum or composite model. Technological and typological analyses are used to characterise morphological variation. The results clearly show that a composite model, associated with a plurality in the purposes of retouching and in the nature of tool-use prior to discard, is applicable. We argue that the cautious use of typology, requiring phases of hypothesis development and testing, can play an important role in elucidating the nature of morphological variation.
Although Aboriginal occupation dates to the Pleistocene, silcrete artifacts only begin to dominat... more Although Aboriginal occupation dates to the Pleistocene, silcrete artifacts only begin to dominate archaeological sites found in the Cumberland Plain of western Sydney, eastern Australia, during the mid-late Holocene. These assemblages routinely include large numbers of backed artifacts. A geoarchaeological survey of five potential silcrete source areas found that silcrete is irregularly distributed along ridgelines within gravel patches that represent paleochannel remnants. Thus, particular parts of the landscape, dictated by the geological history, were more likely to be targeted for stone procurement. The quality of silcrete differs between and within the sources due to variations in grain-size, degree of silicification, and presence of inclusions/fractures, as well as the destructive influence of bush fires on exposed cobbles, resulting in an overall low abundance of high-quality silcrete across the Cumberland Plain. Furthermore, a rind or chalky weathering cortex on many cobbles means that testing was required to assess the internal raw material quality. The difficulty in locating suitable raw material for artifact manufacture meant that when good silcrete sources were found, they were heavily targeted. This contextual information provides an essential backdrop in which to understand the archaeology of the Cumberland Plain and broader patterns of landscape use.
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2006
ABSTRACT Prehistoric obsidian samples from the Trobriand and the northern D'Entrecasteaux Isl... more ABSTRACT Prehistoric obsidian samples from the Trobriand and the northern D'Entrecasteaux Islands are sourced by relative density and PIXE-PIGME to outcrops in the Fergusson Island area. Sites close to the western sources seem to have been supplied by ...
Recent studies have highlighted the long-distance transport of obsidian from the Paektusan (Tianc... more Recent studies have highlighted the long-distance transport of obsidian from the Paektusan (Tianchi or Baitoushan in Chinese) volcano on the border between China and North Korea to eastern Russia and Korea, but little is known about the role of the local population in the production and movement or exchange of this important raw material. This paper addresses this data lacuna
Abstract This paper reviews burin blade core reduction methods in Australia, demonstrating that t... more Abstract This paper reviews burin blade core reduction methods in Australia, demonstrating that they were used to produce small blades during the mid- to late Holocene, but tended to be limited to a few discrete geographical regions. We present new evidence from two surface sites in south central Queensland that extend this view. At one of these sites the burin blade cores have a very broad size range, and include many specimens that are much larger than the norm. Size difference had little bearing on the techniques employed to reduce the cores, but the larger specimens tend to be more weathered. We suggest that this may reflect a technological sequence in the region whereby the use of burin blade core methods to produce small tools typical of the mid- to late Holocene period was preceded by an earlier application of this technology to produce larger blades.
The process of ventral thinning in Australian lithic technology is usually limited to (i) the pre... more The process of ventral thinning in Australian lithic technology is usually limited to (i) the preparation of bifacial points or (ii) reduction of the bulbar surface to facilitate hafting. In this paper we describe a number of flakes from south central Queensland (Qld) that exhibit ventral thinning beyond the bulbar region, yet do not fulfil the traditional typological criteria of Australian bifacial points. We then consider how similar artefacts from other parts of the world have been interpreted. Our provisional conclusion is that there may not be a universal explanation for the process of ventral thinning, but at least some of the south central Qld artefacts appear to be formal tools that bear some relationship to bifacial points. We also suggest that similar tools may be present in early Holocene and late Pleistocene deposits at Kenniff Cave. In sum, this evidence lends qualified support to McNiven’s (1993) hypothesis that bifacial point technology was diffused across parts of Ql...
Abstract The analysis of Quarry 35, located in the arid zone of Australia, is used to gain an und... more Abstract The analysis of Quarry 35, located in the arid zone of Australia, is used to gain an understanding of how and why tools were discarded at this location. This aim is achieved by focusing on the different processes of tool discard identified by Shott (1989) to contrast how curation and expediency contributed to the formation of a quarry assemblage. The results show that, although there is a continuum in the degree of retouch and hence their use-lives, most of the tools can be defined as expedient. At Quarry 35 Blade core preparation and the manufacture of blades account for the bulk of the assemblage, but the subsequent working of blanks into curated Blade tools had little impact on assemblage composition. Yet, it is these tool types that reflect the greatest amount of planning time and labour invested in their manufacture. Consequently, at Quarry 35 curation and expediency operate as dual, equally important, tool-using strategies employed by highly mobile hunter-gatherer groups to successfully organise their lithic technology.
Abstract Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) analysis was applied to silcrete artefacts from surfa... more Abstract Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) analysis was applied to silcrete artefacts from surface concentrations in the southern Arcadia Valley, eastern Australia. These artefacts were manufactured from river cobbles, as shown by the waterworn cortex, and could have been obtained from three sources: Dawson River, Carnarvon Creek and/or Clematis Creek. PXRF analyses of cobbles from these sites, evaluated using nonparametric statistics (because the data are skewed) and confidence ellipses, showed that the three sources can be distinguished by their Fe and Zr concentrations. Comparison with artefact analyses showed that many artefacts were probably sourced from Clematis Creek, with a substantial number from Dawson River but few, if any, from Carnarvon Creek. The sourcing pattern indicates that Aboriginal people in the Arcadia Valley were influenced not only by proximity when procuring silcrete, but also quality, cobble size and traditional mobility strategies. Carnarvon Creek was ignored because of its distance from the artefact sites and lower quality silcrete. Clematis Creek was the most favoured source because although distant from the artefact sites, it contained large silcrete cobbles (sufficient for the manufacture of large scrapers and knives), and was probably visited frequently due to its central location in the traditional country of the Karingbal People.
Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) analysis was applied to silcrete artefacts from surface concen... more Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) analysis was applied to silcrete artefacts from surface concentrations in the southern Arcadia Valley, eastern Australia. These artefacts were manufactured from river cobbles, as shown by the waterworn cortex, and could have been obtained from three sources: Dawson River, Carnarvon Creek and/ or Clematis Creek. PXRF analyses of cobbles from these sites, evaluated using nonparametric statistics (because the data are skewed) and confidence ellipses, showed that the three sources can be distinguished by their Fe and Zr concentrations. Comparison with artefact analyses showed that many artefacts were probably sourced from Clematis Creek, with a substantial number from Dawson River but few, if any, from Carnarvon Creek. The sourcing pattern indicates that Aboriginal people in the Arcadia Valley were influenced not only by proximity when procuring silcrete, but also quality, cobble size and traditional mobility strategies. Carnarvon Creek was ignored bec...
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