Occupation at Carpenters Gap 3, Windjana Gorge, Kimberley, Western Australia

et al. 2016

Australian Archaeology

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We report evidence for the world's earliest ground-edge axe, 44-49,000 years old. Its antiquity coincides with or immediately follows the arrival of humans on the Australian landmass. Ground/polished axes are not associated with the eastward dispersal of Homo sapiens across Eurasia and the discovery of axes in Australia at the point of colonisation exemplifies a diversification of technological practices that occurred as modern humans dispersed from Africa. Ground-edge axes are now known from two different colonised lands at the time humans arrived and hence we argue that these technological strategies are associated with the adaptation of economies and social practices to new environmental contexts.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 47%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

World’s earliest ground-edge axe production coincides with human colonisation of Australia

Hiscock

et al. 2016

Australian Archaeology

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“…The earliest observed direct percussion points are from CG3, where they occur directly above excavation unit 10 with an age range of 5602 to 5333 calBP (OZF325) (O'Connor et al . : 17). These points exhibit marginal retouch, with some observation of invasive and bifacial retouch.…”

Section: New Dates From Bunuba Country In the Southern Kimberleymentioning

confidence: 97%

New dates for point technology in the Kimberley

Maloney

2014

Archaeology in Oceania

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New data from Bunuba country in the southern Kimberley provide more robust dates for point technology in the Kimberley than have been previously available. Direct percussion points have been recovered from three sites in the southern Kimberley associated with radiocarbon dates of ∼5000 calBP, whereas the earliest pressure-flaked points are consistently associated with dates within the past 1000 years. This suggests that pressure-flaked point technology postdates the earliest occurrence of direct percussion points by ∼4000 years in this region.

“…) and Carpenter's Gap 3 (O'Connor et al . ). At Riwi, the reduction in artefact discard is coupled with a change in the fauna to an emphasis on reptiles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…; O'Connor et al . ). The inclusion of small amounts of silcrete, crystal quartz, agate and quartzite are most notable in the artefact peaks of Square 3, yet across the whole site make up less than 8% of exploited stone.…”

Section: Evidence For Human Occupationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Long‐term occupation on the edge of the desert: Riwi Cave in the southern Kimberley, Western Australia

Maloney

et al. 2018

Archaeology in Oceania

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Aboriginal people occupied Riwi, a limestone cave in the south-central Kimberley region at the edge of the Great Sandy Desert of WesternAustralia, from about 46000 years ago through to the historical period. The cultural materials recovered from the Riwi excavations provide evidence of intermittent site use, especially in climatically wet periods. Changes in hunting patterns and in hearth-making practices about 34000 years ago appear to accompany a change to drought resistant vegetation in the site surrounds. Occupation during the Last Glacial Maximum highlights variation in aridity trends in the broader environmental record. The most intensive use of the cave was during a wet period in the early to middle Holocene, when people appear to have received marine shell beads from the coast through social networks. While there is less evidence for late Holocene occupation, this probably reflects deposition processes rather than an absence of occupation. RÉSUMÉLes fouilles archéologiques de Riwi, une grotte karstique au sud du Kimberley (région situéeà la lisière nord du Great Sandy Désert en Australie-Occidentale) ont permis de mettre enévidence des traces d'occupation aborigène datées entre 46000 ans jusqu'à la période historique. Le matériel découvert et les analyses paléoenvironnementales démontrent une utilisation intermittente du site, avec une préférence pour les périodes humides. Autour de 34000 ans, on observe un changement des pratiques liéesà la chasse et la construction de foyers associéà l'expansion d'une végétation xérophile (adaptéeà la sécheresse). La présence de niveaux datés du dernier maximum glaciaire démontre une fois de plus qu'il existe une grande variabilité au sein même des enregistrements environnementaux datés de cetté epoque. La période d'occupation la plus intense se situe durant une période humide au début de l'Holocène moyen au cours de laquelle on observe aussi deséchanges culturels de longues distances mis enévidence par la présence de perles de coquillages marins provenant de régions costales. L'occupation datant de l'Holocène tardif est discrète, probablement dueà un changement de dynamique sédimentaire dans la grotte.