Conferences, Symposiums, Seminars Organiser by Katherine Woo
Join the Sydney Archaeology community for their Semester 2 2019 seminar series on museums, herita... more Join the Sydney Archaeology community for their Semester 2 2019 seminar series on museums, heritage, and archaeology.
This paper reports the discovery of the estuarine bivalve species Potamocorbula faba at the archa... more This paper reports the discovery of the estuarine bivalve species Potamocorbula faba at the archaeological site Ngarradj
Join the Sydney Archaeology community for their semester 1 2018 seminar series on museums, herita... more Join the Sydney Archaeology community for their semester 1 2018 seminar series on museums, heritage, material culture and archaeology.
Papers by Katherine Woo
Northern Territory Naturalist, Jun 30, 2019
Australian Archaeology, 2021
Regional-scale assessments have proven to be invaluable frameworks for research, public engagemen... more Regional-scale assessments have proven to be invaluable frameworks for research, public engagement and management of submerged archaeological landscapes. Regional-scale approaches have been impleme...
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2021
Shell middens, sometimes in the form of mounds of great size, are a ubiquitous indicator of coast... more Shell middens, sometimes in the form of mounds of great size, are a ubiquitous indicator of coastal settlement and exploitation of marine resources across the world. However, shell middens are relatively rare before the mid-Holocene because most palaeoshorelines before that time are now submerged by sea-level rise since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Previously reported examples of underwater shell middens are almost unknown and of uncertain status, and it has generally been assumed that such deposits would not survive the destructive impact of sea-level rise or would be indistinguishable from natural shell deposits. Recently, two examples of underwater shell deposits have been independently discovered and verified as anthropogenic midden deposits e a Mesolithic shell midden on the island of Hjarnø in the Straits of Denmark, and a Middle to Late Archaic shell midden in the Econfina Channel of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, USA. We report the comparative geoarchaeological analysis of these deposits, using a sedimentological approach to unravel their formation history and post-depositional transformation. Despite the differences in coastal geomorphology and geology, cultural context, molluscan taxonomy and preservation conditions between these sites, the results demonstrate similar sedimentological profiles that are distinctive of anthropogenic deposits, demonstrate their origin as subaerial deposits at the shore edge before inundation by sea-level rise, and show that these properties can be identified in sediment samples recovered from coring. These findings support arguments that such sites likely exist in greater numbers than previously assumed, that they can be identified from minimally invasive techniques without the need for extensive underwater excavation, and that they should be sought to fill critical gaps in the temporal and geographical record concerning Late Quaternary human use of coastal zones and marine resources.
Conversation Media Group, 2021
The world's oceans hold their secrets close, including clues about how people lived tens of thous... more The world's oceans hold their secrets close, including clues about how people lived tens of thousands of years ago. For a large portion of humanity's existence, sea levels were significantly lower (up to 130 metres) than they are today, exposing millions of square kilometres of land. And the archaeological record is clear: people in the past lived on these coastal plains before the land slipped beneath the waves. Archaeology already tells us these drowned landscapes played significant roles in human history. Major events such as human migrations across the globe and the invention of maritime technology took place along these now-drowned shorelines. But these sites can be hard to find. In two papers published this week our team reports on a breakthrough in detecting and excavating one particular type of coastal archaeological site-shell middens-on what is now the seabed. Divers excavate a shallow water submerged Mesolithic midden off the island of Hjarnø, Denmark. J. Benjamin., Author provided
Australian Archaeology, 2014
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2016
Sampling is a practice that affects all stages of archeological research, and is a method frequen... more Sampling is a practice that affects all stages of archeological research, and is a method frequently employed to manage the potentially vast quantities of material recovered from excavations. Current sampling methods used in the analyses of shell middens are largely based on those developed by the California School, and can be characterized by the implementation of small sample sizes during the excavation and analysis of shell deposits. The wider archeological sampling literature, however, has repeatedly demonstrated that the use of small sample sizes has the potential to result in the loss of substantial quantities of material, often grossly underestimating an assemblage's richness, and skewing abundance distributions. There is therefore a need to re-evaluate the current sampling methods used in the analysis of shell deposits. We use five ecological diversity indices to examine and quantify the effects of sampling on the recovery and interpretation of molluscan remains, using material from the Peel Island Lazaret Midden, southeast Queensland, as a case study. This research demonstrates that the use of small sample sizes does indeed affect measures of richness and evenness for molluscan populations, with marked differences being recorded for the two sample sizes used in this study. Results show that while subsamples are able to detect some trends in taxonomic richness and evenness, the degree of difference present between the results from the two sample size indicates that subsamples reduce interpretive accuracy. We conclude that, in addition to determining the appropriate sampling strategy during excavation or recovery of midden deposits as highlighted by previous research, there is also a need for researchers to assess sampling practices during the analyses of molluscan assemblages. The methods employed in this study can be easily applied and offer a robust means of determining the effects and adequacy of sampling.
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2021
Abstract Anthropogenic shell accumulations (shell middens), often of great size, occur in their t... more Abstract Anthropogenic shell accumulations (shell middens), often of great size, occur in their tens of thousands around the world’s coastlines. They mostly date from the Mid-Holocene onwards and are frequently taken as symptomatic of a Postglacial ‘revolution’ involving world-wide population growth and intensification in exploitation of marine resources. However, the comparative rarity of earlier deposits may have as much to do with Postglacial sea-level rise and the loss of evidence from earlier palaeoshorelines as with genuine socio-economic trends. Here we investigate the underwater Mesolithic (Ertebolle) shell midden of Hjarno Vesterhoved in Denmark, one of the first underwater shell middens to be systematically verified as an anthropogenic shell deposit in a region world-famous for its many hundreds of Ertebolle shell mounds on the present shoreline. We show how a combination of geophysical survey, coring, excavation, stratigraphic interpretation and macroscopic analysis of midden contents can be used to identify underwater deposits, to unravel their taphonomic and post-depositional history in relation to surrounding sediments, and to distinguish between cultural and natural agencies of shell accumulation and deformation. We demonstrate the presence of an intact underwater shell-midden deposit dated at 5400–5100 cal BC, one of the earliest in Denmark. We demonstrate the usefulness of such material in giving new information about early coastal subsistence economies and greater precision to the measurement of palaeo-sea levels. We discuss the implications of our results for an improved understanding of the Mesolithic record in Denmark and of biases in the archaeological record of Late Pleistocene and Early-to-Mid Holocene coastal contexts. We emphasise the importance of researching more fully the geomorphological and taphonomic processes that affect the accumulation, destruction, burial, preservation and visibility of underwater archaeological deposits, the need to extend underwater investigations more widely and to more deeply submerged palaeoshorelines, and the combination of methods required to advance such investigations.
Australian Archaeology, 2021
Regional-scale assessments have proven to be invaluable frameworks for research, public engagemen... more Regional-scale assessments have proven to be invaluable frameworks for research, public engagement and management of submerged archaeological landscapes. Regional-scale approaches have been implemented internationally through a variety of academic or strategic studies. Such studies represent a much-needed next step towards subregional and site-level prospection to support management, engagement and mitigation of the impacts of offshore development. However, these regional studies are largely absent in Australia. In this article, we build on the recent discovery of submerged archaeological sites in Western Australia and produce a novel regional-scale assessment of submerged archaeological and cultural landscape potential in the coastal and island regions of the Northern Territory. This area is of special significance in the peopling of Australia, containing some of the oldest dated archaeological evidence. We collate and synthesise regional data related to sea-level change, ethnography (e.g. oral traditions), geomorphology, and archaeology, also taking account of logistics and existing data availability to identify prospective areas for further study. We highlight the need for a coordinated national program of regional baseline studies to address a legacy of under-representation of submerged landscapes and provide vital baseline data for a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including researchers, policy makers, environmental and heritage managers, developers and Traditional Owners.
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2021
Shell middens, sometimes in the form of mounds of great size, are a ubiquitous indicator of coast... more Shell middens, sometimes in the form of mounds of great size, are a ubiquitous indicator of coastal settlement and exploitation of marine resources across the world. However, shell middens are relatively rare before the mid-Holocene because most palaeoshorelines before that time are now submerged by sea-level rise since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Previously reported examples of underwater shell middens are almost unknown and of uncertain status, and it has generally been assumed that such deposits would not survive the destructive impact of sea-level rise or would be indistinguishable from natural shell deposits. Recently, two examples of underwater shell deposits have been independently discovered and verified as anthropogenic midden deposits e a Mesolithic shell midden on the island of Hjarnø in the Straits of Denmark, and a Middle to Late Archaic shell midden in the Econfina Channel of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, USA. We report the comparative geoarchaeological analysis of these deposits, using a sedimentological approach to unravel their formation history and post-depositional transformation. Despite the differences in coastal geomorphology and geology, cultural context, molluscan taxonomy and preservation conditions between these sites, the results demonstrate similar sedimen-tological profiles that are distinctive of anthropogenic deposits, demonstrate their origin as subaerial deposits at the shore edge before inundation by sea-level rise, and show that these properties can be identified in sediment samples recovered from coring. These findings support arguments that such sites likely exist in greater numbers than previously assumed, that they can be identified from minimally invasive techniques without the need for extensive underwater excavation, and that they should be sought to fill critical gaps in the temporal and geographical record concerning Late Quaternary human use of coastal zones and marine resources.
A drowned Mesolithic shell midden complex at Hjarnø Vesterhoved, Denmark and its wider significance, 2021
Anthropogenic shell accumulations (shell middens), often of great size, occur in their tens of th... more Anthropogenic shell accumulations (shell middens), often of great size, occur in their tens of thousands around the world's coastlines. They mostly date from the Mid-Holocene onwards and are frequently taken as symptomatic of a Postglacial 'revolution' involving worldwide population growth and inten-sification in exploitation of marine resources. However, the comparative rarity of earlier deposits may have as much to do with Postglacial sea-level rise and the loss of evidence from earlier palaeoshorelines as with genuine socioeconomic trends. Here we investigate the underwater Mesolithic (Ertebølle) shell midden of Hjarnø Vesterhoved in Denmark, one of the first underwater shell middens to be systematically verified as an anthropogenic shell deposit in a region world-famous for its many hundreds of Ertebølle shell mounds on the present shoreline. We show how a combination of geophysical survey, coring, excavation, stratigraphic interpretation and macroscopic analysis of midden contents can be used to identify underwater deposits, to unravel their taphonomic and post-depositional history in relation to surrounding sediments, and to distinguish between cultural and natural agencies of shell accumulation and deformation. We demonstrate the presence of an intact underwater shell-midden deposit dated at 5400e5100 cal BC, one of the earliest in Denmark. We demonstrate the usefulness of such material in giving new information about early coastal subsistence economies and greater precision to the measurement of palaeo-sea levels. We discuss the implications of our results for an improved understanding of the Mesolithic record in Denmark and of biases in the archaeological record of Late Pleistocene and Early-to-Mid Holocene coastal contexts. We emphasise the importance of researching more fully the geomorphological and taphonomic processes that affect the accumulation, destruction, burial, preservation and visibility of underwater archaeological deposits, the need to extend underwater investigations more widely and to more deeply submerged palaeoshorelines, and the combination of methods required to advance such investigations.
Sampling is a practice that affects all stages of archeological research, and is a method frequen... more Sampling is a practice that affects all stages of archeological research, and is a method frequently employed to manage the potentially vast quantities of material recovered from excavations. Current sampling methods used in the analyses of shell middens are largely based on those developed by the California School, and can be characterized by the implementation of small sample sizes during the excavation and analysis of shell deposits. The wider archeological sampling literature, however, has repeatedly demonstrated that the use of small sample sizes has the potential to result in the loss of substantial quantities of material, often grossly underestimating an assemblage's richness, and skewing abundance distributions. There is therefore a need to re-evaluate the current sampling methods used in the analysis of shell deposits. We use five ecological diversity indices to examine and quantify the effects of sampling on the recovery and interpretation of molluscan remains, using material from the Peel Island Lazaret Midden, southeast Queensland, as a case study. This research demonstrates that the use of small sample sizes does indeed affect measures of richness and evenness for molluscan populations, with marked differences being recorded for the two sample sizes used in this study. Results show that while subsamples are able to detect some trends in taxonomic richness and evenness, the degree of difference present between the results from the two sample size indicates that subsamples reduce interpretive accuracy. We conclude that, in addition to determining the appropriate sampling strategy during excavation or recovery of midden deposits as highlighted by previous research, there is also a need for researchers to assess sampling practices during the analyses of molluscan assemblages. The methods employed in this study can be easily applied and offer a robust means of determining the effects and adequacy of sampling.
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Conferences, Symposiums, Seminars Organiser by Katherine Woo
Papers by Katherine Woo