Regime change: an anthracological assessment of fuel selection and management at Madjedbebe (Malakunanja II), Mirarr country, Australia

Abstract

Australian anthracology is an informative yet under-developed field despite the fact that it can reveal valuable information about fuel wood selection, anthropogenic woodland management, and the palaeoenvironment. Fuel wood selection and management is assessed through the application of anthracology (wood charcoal analysis) at the rock shelter site of Madjedbebe, Mirarr country, Northern Territory, Australia. Madjedbebe provides a sequence of fourteen hearths unrivalled in Australian anthracology for their number and temporal span (240-7 years cal BP -c.55,000). These hearth charcoals are identified using a bespoke collection of reference woods constructed for this study. Each of the hearths is sampled to 200 fragments of charcoal or 100% of the available charcoal fragments. The Madjedbebe hearths are used to assess hypothesised fuel wood selection strategies including 1) the principle of least effort, 2) localised preferential selection, and 3) non-local selection. This investigation finds fuel wood selection remained locally focused over the past 20,000 years. The inhabitants of Madjedbebe consistently targeted two vegetation communities, openEucalypt woodland and monsoon vine forest for their fuel wood, with minor contributions from a third -Grevillea/Banksia shrubland. There is a clear diachronic change in the taxonomic composition of the hearths from Acacia sp. dominance to increased taxon richness. This shift does not align with any major shifts in climate or woodland composition and is probably due to a change in anthropogenic selection preferences.In addition to assessing fuel wood selection strategies the Madjedbebe charcoal assemblage also allows for the provenance of 'matrix charcoal' (charcoal found in the sedimentary matrix of the site, outside of a defined context) to be determined to some degree. The provenance and therefore interpretative value of matrix charcoal has until now remained uncertain.

Pandanus nutshell generates a palaeoprecipitation record for human occupation at Madjedbebe, northern Australia

“…As there are little data for palaeoprecipitation levels during MIS4 across northern Australia, let alone in the Alligator Rivers region, this proxy provides valuable environmental context for early settlement of the continent. Modern human populations entering this region 65,000 years ago would have experienced a relatively dry, but not arid, environment, with small pockets of monsoon vine forest and freshwater vegetation available on the Alligator Rivers lowlands 2,32 . As climate ameliorated in Phase 3, monsoon vine forest environments probably increased in the vicinity of Madjedbebe 37 .…”

“…This attests to moderate precipitation in this region, even throughout the drier stages of MIS4 and MIS2. Indeed, evidence for plant food exploitation and fuel use in Phase 2 at Madjedbebe demonstrates that people had access to a range of vegetation communities during early occupation (MIS4), including freshwater and monsoon vine forest patches 2,32 . The same is probably also true of the Last Glacial Maximum and terminal Pleistocene.…”

Identifying disturbance in archaeological sites in tropical northern Australia: Implications for previously proposed 65,000‐year continental occupation date

“…SI16–SI17) shows that on location, form and content, the “pit” is more likely part of a non‐anthropogenic runoff channel formed at the shelter's dripline. The charcoal scatter is very small, a cluster of 19 pieces measuring just 10 cm across (Carah, 2017, p. 408). It shows none of the underlying soil discoloration caused by heat that is typically associated with hearths.…”

“…The same interpretation applies to the charcoal scatter, although it might be a natural occurrence, having been found close to the shelter wall where winds blowing against cliffs often sort light debris in these locations. The charcoal is not degraded and has sufficient structural integrity for identification to species (Carah, 2017), so that the matter could presumably be resolved by submitting the whole sample for radiocarbon dating. Any date within the range of radiocarbon analysis (<50 ka) contradicts the Smith et al (2020) argument.…”

Fishhooks, fishing spears, and weaving: The bone technology of Madjedbebe, Northern Australia

“…For analytical purposes, the excavation units (XUs) were divided into four broad "Phases" following the chronological sub-divisions presented in Woo (2020) (Table 1), based on data presented in Clarkson et al (2015Clarkson et al ( , 2017, Carah (2017), andFlorin (2021). More precise spatial investigation of the recovered artifacts was inhibited by lack of detailed information regarding the find locations within each excavation square.…”