Koonalda Cave, Nullarbor Plain, South Australia – issues in optical and radiometric dating of deep karst caves

Walshe, Keryn

doi:10.1515/geochr-2015-0081

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 8 publications

(17 reference statements)

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“…Most dingoes at the time of earliest European contact were wild animals that did not rely on or even interact with humans to maintain stable, independent populations, as is true for the vast majority of dingoes alive today. The common presence of dingoes in naturally-accumulated palaeontological deposits such as pitfall traps suggests this was also the case for the three millennia for which there is firm radiocarbon evidence for canid presence in Australia [6,14,34] Evidence for domestication processes affecting dingoes living in the company of pre-contact Aboriginal people is thus, at present, geographically restricted, and not representative of the situation for dingoes on the whole, as a distinct taxon or evolutionarily significant unit. Accordingly, our results do not provide a strong attestation to the taxonomic status of the dingo insofar as this is related to domestication occurring within Australia.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…BP (3069 ± 27 SANU 54821) for the deepest bones found in Madura Cave [5], and 3259-3022 cal. BP (3031 ± 34 OxA-27532) for a specimen from surface deposits in Koonalda Cave [6] provide a minimum entry time for dingoes to the Australian continent of approximately 3300 years before present. A late Holocene arrival timeframe best fits the evidence from New Guinea and other islands to Australia's north where dog bones are not found in contexts older than 3,300 years BP [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dingoes, companions in life and death: The significance of archaeological canid burial practices in Australia

Koungoulos,

Balme,

O’Connor

2023

PLoS ONE

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The dingo, also known as the Australian native dog, was introduced in the late Holocene. Dingoes were primarily wild animals but a number resided in Aboriginal people’s camps. Traditionally, these individuals were taken from wild litters before weaning and raised by Aboriginal people. It is generally believed that these dingoes were not directly provided for, and upon sexual maturity, returned to reproduce in the wild. However, some died while in the company of people and, were buried in occupation sites. This Australian practice parallels the burial of domestic dogs in many regions of the Asia-Pacific and beyond but has attracted very little research. We explore the historical and archaeological evidence for dingo burial, examining its different forms, chronological and geographic distribution, and cultural significance. Dingoes were usually buried in the same manner as Aboriginal community members and often in areas used for human burial, sometimes alongside people. This practice probably occurred from the time of their introduction until soon after European colonisation. We present a case study of dingo burials from Curracurrang Rockshelter (NSW) which provides insights into the lives of ancient tame dingoes, and suggests that domestication and genetic continuity between successive camp-dwelling generations may have occurred prior to European contact.

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%