Archaeological Investigations at Pine Gap (Kuyunba), Northern Territory

Napton, L. K.; Greathouse, E. A.

doi:10.1080/03122417.1985.12092987

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Most research has focused on areas south of the main MacDonnell Ranges, or in the middle reaches of the major river catchments: there are no excavated sequences north of the MacDonnell's, in the Dulcie Ranges to the northeast, the eastern MacDonnell's or in the Mann-Musgrave range system to the south (Figure 1). Clusters of sites reflect discrete research projects -by Smith and Ross in the Amadeus basin (Smith, 2006;Smith and Ross, 2008); Thorley in the Palmer catchment (1998a and b); Gould, Napton and Albee, and Smith in the James Range (Gould, 1978 ;Smith, 1986Smith, , 1988; and Napton and Greathouse, and Smith in the Pine Gap area (Smith, 1983;Napton and Greathouse, 1985). Although the regional spread of sites is circumscribed, the sample includes sites in a range of localities: plateau and sand plain sites, sites in the middle reaches of major drainages, sites near springs, sites in the dune fields and sites on the rim and in the lower part of the Amadeus basin.…”

Section: Extent Of Research 1969-2006mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hutterer, L.K. Napton and A. Albee) in the early 1970s (see Gould, 1978;Saggers, 1982), some of whom later established independent projects in Central Australia (Greathouse, 1985;Greathouse, 1985, 1996). This phase saw little attempt at regional synthesis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Holocene 18,3 ( 2008) Napton and Greathouse, 1985; (5) Napton and Greathouse, 1996;(6) Ross and Smith, 2007;(7) Smith and Ross, 2008;(8) Smith, 1983;(9) Smith, 1986;(10) Smith, 1988;(11) Smith, 2006;(12) Stockton, 1971;(13) Thorley, 1998a;(14) Thorley, 1998b. reduction in residential mobility and increased reliance on harvesting and processing seed foods.…”

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confidence: 99%

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What happened at 1500—1000 cal. BP in Central Australia? Timing, impact and archaeological signatures

Smith

Ross

2008

The Holocene

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historic settlement away from the major drainage lines, involving changing relations between core and peripheral parts of the desert and new patterns of resource use, or whether it signals a more general increase in the human population of the region.Also at issue is the articulation (if any) of these socioeconomic shifts with climate-driven or human-driven changes in Central Australian environments. A related question concerns the impact of ENSO-driven climatic variability over this period: Aboriginal settlement in Central Australia appears to be expanding at a time when ENSO activity was at its highest in the current cycle (which began 4000-3000 years ago). This emphasizes the importance for arid zone prehistory of reconstructing palaeo-environmental variability, not simply long-term averages.Abstract: This paper reviews the late Holocene archaeology of Central Australia. The last 1500 years saw significant changes in the archaeological record in this part of the Australian arid zone, with shifts in settlement pattern, site histories, resource use, tool inventories and rock art. Much of the evidence points to regional population growth, beginning 1500-1000 cal. BP and coinciding with expansion of summer-rainfall grassland and more frequent palaeoflood events. Hunter-gatherer groups appear to have increased their use of marginal or outlying areas as these became seasonally accessible. Responses to the demographic changes, especially in the better-watered ranges, include more extended occupation of existing sites, more processing of acacia and grass seeds, and an increase in territoriality reflected in the greater differentiation of rock art complexes after 1500 cal. BP. The archaeological changes are not scaled commensurately with the modest environmental shifts at this time, indicating that human-environment interactions were not linear. A human-environment threshold may have been breached 1500-1000 years ago, with existing socio-economic or historical factors acting to amplify the effects of small environmental changes. However, it remains difficult to fully characterize the nature of these human-environment interactions, despite the fine-grained archaeological record now available. An unresolved problem for this emerging picture of climatic amelioration and population growth is that Aboriginal settlement in Central Australia was expanding at a time when ENSO-driven variability appears to have been at its highest.

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Section: Extent Of Research 1969-2006mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What happened at 1500—1000 cal. BP in Central Australia? Timing, impact and archaeological signatures

Smith

Ross

2008

The Holocene

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Archaeology and the Dreaming: Toward an Archaeology of Ontology

David¹

2006

Archaeology of Oceania: Australia and the Pacific Islands

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Pleistocene settlement in the Australian arid zone: occupation of an inland riverine landscape in the central Australian ranges

Thorley

1998

Antiquity

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Recent excavations at the Kulpi Mara Rockshelter in the Palmer River catchment of central Australia have produced radiocarbon determinations spanning an archaeological sequence of 30,000 years. These results enable re-assessment of models addressing the how, where and when of arid zone colonisation, and human adjustments to environmental change in the later Pleistocene. Whilst the evidence supports early occupation of the central arid zone during wetter conditions, doubts are raised about the continuity of occupation during the height of glacial aridity.

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Archaeological Investigations at Pine Gap (Kuyunba), Northern Territory

Cited by 4 publications

References 6 publications

What happened at 1500—1000 cal. BP in Central Australia? Timing, impact and archaeological signatures

What happened at 1500—1000 cal. BP in Central Australia? Timing, impact and archaeological signatures

Archaeology and the Dreaming: Toward an Archaeology of Ontology

Pleistocene settlement in the Australian arid zone: occupation of an inland riverine landscape in the central Australian ranges

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