Using foraminifera to distinguish between natural and cultural shell deposits in coastal eastern Australia

Rosendahl, Daniel; Ulm, Sean; Weisler, Marshall I.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2006.11.013

Cited by 28 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…While this is not an ideal sample size for testing archaeological sediments (Rosendahl et al, 2007(Rosendahl et al, , p. 1586), 1 g is considered suitable for testing geological sediments or samples to have a known foraminiferal content (Gill et al, 1991).…”

Section: Re-analysis Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This density is well within the parameters described for a naturally deposited assemblage, viz. >1000 foraminifera per 100 g of sediment (see Rosendahl et al, 2007Rosendahl et al, , 2014b. Five foraminifera taxa were identified, dominated by Elphidium sp.…”

Section: Re-analysis Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Foraminiferal analysis was carried out on sediments from each excavation unit to assess the depositional context of deposits, with the exception of XU10 where no sediments were recovered (see Rosendahl et al, 2007Rosendahl et al, , 2014b. A sub-sample of the <2.3mm sediment sample was wet-sieved with freshwater through nested Endecotts sieves.…”

Section: Re-analysis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mid-Holocene Aboriginal occupation of offshore islands in northern Australia? A reassessment of Wurdukanhan, Mornington Island, southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

Rosendahl

Ulm

Sloss

et al. 2015

Quaternary International

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Claims for mid-Holocene Aboriginal occupation at the shell matrix site of Wurdukanhan, Mornington Island, Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia, are reassessed through an analysis of the excavated assemblage coupled with new surveys and an extensive dating program. Memmott et al. (2006, pp. 38, 39) reported basal ages of c.5000-5500 years from Wurdukanhan as 'the oldest date yet obtained for any archaeological site on the coast of the southern Gulf of Carpentaria' and used these dates to argue for 'a relatively lengthy occupation since at least the mid-Holocene'. If substantiated, with the exception of western Torres Strait, these claims make Mornington Island the only offshore island used across northern Australia in the mid-Holocene where it is conventionally thought that Aboriginal people only (re)colonised islands after sea-level maximum was achieved after the mid-Holocene. Our analysis of Wurdukanhan demonstrate high shellfish taxa diversity, high rates of natural shell predation and high densities of foraminifera throughout the deposit demonstrating a natural origin for the assemblage. Results are considered in the context of other dated shell matrix sites in the area and a geomorphological model for landscape development of the Sandalwood River catchment.2

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Section: Re-analysis Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Re-analysis Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Re-analysis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mid-Holocene Aboriginal occupation of offshore islands in northern Australia? A reassessment of Wurdukanhan, Mornington Island, southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

Rosendahl

Ulm

Sloss

et al. 2015

Quaternary International

Self Cite

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“…During the past few decades, archaeologists have realized that the spatial distribution of surface and subsurface cultural materials can change over time and space by both anthropogenic and natural impacts (Grave & Kealhofer, 1999;Rosendahl, Ulm, & Weisler, 2007;Wood & Johnson, 1978). A new approach to recognizing postdepositional disturbances, proposed here, is the high-precision 230 Th dating of corals found in cultural layers at Pacific archaeological sites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human‐caused stratigraphic mixing of a coastal Hawaiian midden during prehistory: Implications for interpreting cultural deposits

et al. 2010

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Archaeologists rely on the spatial and temporal distribution of artifacts and other site-based materials to understand the stratigraphic integrity of the matrix in which remains are embedded. Although they are aware of taphonomic and site formation processes that can cause postdepositional movement of objects, misinterpretation can occur. We used high-precision 230 Th dating of branch corals found throughout cultural layers of a coastal Hawaiian midden to identify the effects of post-depositional disturbances to the archaeological record. Fifteen corals distributed in three cultural layers of a Mo'omomi bay site on west Moloka'i, Hawaiian Islands, were 230 Th dated between A.D. 1513 and A.D. 1623. Even though the cultural layers appeared visually intact, the positions of the dated coral samples indicate stratigraphic mixing as there is no positive age-depth correlation. Consequently, all cultural layers should be considered one analytical unit for analysis of contents. This study is applicable to other Pacific archaeological sites, especially throughout Hawaii and East Polynesia generally, that have well-preserved branch coral for 230 Th dating.

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“…Since a magnetic field is being created for each measurement, the instrument was zeroed between each reading to calculate magnetic susceptibility. Following methods outlined in Rosendahl et al (2007), foraminiferal analysis was carried out on sediments from selected XUs within each stratigraphic unit to assess the integrity of deposits. A 10 g subsample of the bulk sediment was wet-sieved through 2 mm, 1 mm, 850 μm, 600 μm, 500 μm, 425 μm, 250 μm and 125 μm nested Endecotts sieves.…”

Section: -40 Suiimentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Australia’s cultural history through archaeological geophysics

Lowe¹

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The aim of this thesis is to develop and apply geophysical methods for Australian archaeology. The methods focus on magnetic susceptibility and ground-penetrating radar (GPR). The techniques are contextualised through application to the following four key archaeological questions: 1) Can magnetic susceptibility assist in resolving questions surrounding the potential downward movement of stone artefacts in rockshelter deposits? 2) Is human occupation persistent through the changing climatic regime associated with the last glacial maximum (LGM) at a Pleistocene-aged rockshelter in interior Australia? 3) How might we identify burials in a geologically complex rockshelter deposit? 4) How might magnetic susceptibility contribute to knowledge about the formation of 'archaeologically instantaneous' shell matrix sites?In exploring these questions, research was conducted at two rockshelters in northern Australia and on three shell mounds in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia. Magnetic susceptibility studies were undertaken at Gledswood Shelter 1 (GS1), a rockshelter occupied at ca 38,000 BP, to understand its history and formation processes. An experimental burning program using off-site samples was conducted to confirm that magnetically enhanced sediments in the cultural deposits were the direct result of anthropogenic burning rather than natural fires, pedogenesis or weathering. This change coincides with the level at which stone artefacts appear in the sedimentary sequence, indicating that they are in situ and have not moved down from higher layers above. Demonstrating that an increase in magnetic susceptibility is associated with human occupation is a crucial development in Australian archaeology. This will provide an opportunity to link sediments and artefacts-and this is critical to comprehending the timing of initial occupation of the continent.Magnetic susceptibility data combined with micromorphology and geoarchaeological data also revealed that occupation was continuous through the LGM at GS1, without any abandonment of the site. GS1 is situated in a region that has been characterised as a potential corridor for early colonists moving into the arid interior. The appearance of stone artefacts in the deposits corresponding with an increase in magnetic susceptibility as well as clay and charcoal coatings on quartz grains in the Pleistocene units in thin section, indicate that the site was occupied through this period, thereby implying that water was at least locally available.Despite the absence of any obvious permanent water sources, water availability at the site is ii reliant on summer rainfall. This suggests that the monsoons driven by the Coral Sea off the northeast Australian coastline may have been active during this time. This has important implications for understanding climatic conditions during that period, and allows one to infer that water must have been available regionally for people to have maintained their use of the site.GPR carried out in advance of archaeological excavations at Madjedbe...

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Using foraminifera to distinguish between natural and cultural shell deposits in coastal eastern Australia

Cited by 28 publications

References 27 publications

Mid-Holocene Aboriginal occupation of offshore islands in northern Australia? A reassessment of Wurdukanhan, Mornington Island, southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

Mid-Holocene Aboriginal occupation of offshore islands in northern Australia? A reassessment of Wurdukanhan, Mornington Island, southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

Human‐caused stratigraphic mixing of a coastal Hawaiian midden during prehistory: Implications for interpreting cultural deposits

Understanding Australia’s cultural history through archaeological geophysics

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