Aboriginal uses for introduced glass, ceramic and flint from the former Schofields Aerodrome, Western Sydney (Darug Country), New South Wales

When the Foreign Becomes Familiar: The Glass Bead Assemblage from Madjedbebe, Northern Australia

“…In Australian archaeology, the materiality of colonial encounters has largely focused on syncretic modifications and forms, such as the production of glass artefacts through traditional stone tool working techniques (e.g. Allen 1969;Harrison 2000;Munt & Owen 2022;Perston et al 2021;Ulm et al 2009;Wolski & Loy 1999; see also Harrison 2002 for metal and Munt & Owen 2022 for ceramics). Perhaps the most emblematic of the colonial encounter are the striking glass Kimberley points of the northwestern Australian coastline.…”

“…We present results from a standard attribute analysis, alongside a review of the archival and material culture record, to explore questions of consumption, specifically consumer choice, regimes of value and agency during early colonial encounters in the region. Significantly, our study is the first to deploy microwear analysis to contribute to discussions of the Indigenous use of glass beads from a colonial context (see Munt & Owen 2022, Ulm et al 2009and Wolski & Loy 1999 for examples of usewear on Australian Aboriginal glass artefacts).…”