... dating from 1000 BP up to European contact has yet to be established (Bedford et al. 1998: 179). On Malo we have the best evidence of Lapita settlement dating from around 3000 BP with numerous sites located along much of the east and... more
... dating from 1000 BP up to European contact has yet to be established (Bedford et al. 1998: 179). On Malo we have the best evidence of Lapita settlement dating from around 3000 BP with numerous sites located along much of the east and north coasts of the island (Hedrick nd ...
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We report the results of a blind test of flaked tool function. Thirty freshly knapped obsidian flakes were used in a range of tasks. Tool function was identified employing a low power (< 40x) microscope and commonly used edge... more
We report the results of a blind test of flaked tool function. Thirty freshly knapped obsidian flakes were used in a range of tasks. Tool function was identified employing a low power (< 40x) microscope and commonly used edge variables. We show that flakes used on pliable materials such as flax could not be identified as tools, whereas ca. 50% of those used in woodworking and all those used in boneworking were so recognised. However, most boneworking tools were wrongly assigned to woodworking and half of the woodworking implements were assigned a wrong function. Our results suggest an unacceptably high level of error in analyses of New Zealand flaked tool function.
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people spent short periods assisting on the site and these people are thanked also. For assistance with the analysis and report production thanks are extended to Dr F. Climo,
Obsidian forms a rather unimpressive component of the artefact inventory of many archaeological sites in Island Melanesia. With the notable exception of certain sites in the Admiralty Islands and western New Britain, obsidian is present... more
Obsidian forms a rather unimpressive component of the artefact inventory of many archaeological sites in Island Melanesia. With the notable exception of certain sites in the Admiralty Islands and western New Britain, obsidian is present mainly as unmodified flakes. Yet this material has been instrumental in writing the prehistory of the region. This is for two related reasons: (1) obsidian has been found in sites covering a very broad spatial and chronological span; yet (2) the natural occurrence of obsidian in Island Melanesia is very localised, restricted to three widely separated areas (see below). This has excited prehistorians, who have viewed the Pleistocene occurrence of obsidian in occupation sites as evidence of some early form of trade (Allen and Gosden 1996:189), and its occurrence in widely separated late Holocene sites as representing a developed maritime trading system (Ambrose 1978). This article reviews current knowledge of the spatial temporal distribution of Bismar...
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Why does the theme of ‘confinement’ link historic-period heritage places across the continent of Australia? This article explores incarceration as not only a dominant theme in heritage-listed and archaeological sites from post-contact... more
Why does the theme of ‘confinement’ link historic-period heritage places across the continent of Australia? This article explores incarceration as not only a dominant theme in heritage-listed and archaeological sites from post-contact Australia, but also as a central underlying element in both Anglo-Australians’ sense of ambiguous difference from their European origins, and indigenous Australians’ painful experiences of engagement with the state. It considers the shared experiences of ‘confinement’ through a wide variety of registered convict, post-convict and indigenous heritage places in order to question how and why this theme has come to hold such a special resonance for different communities within modern Australia. Expanding upon Bruce Trigger’s classic definitions of ‘alternative archaeologies’, the authors suggest this resonance has resulted in the emergence of a post-colonial form of heritage practice within this settler nation.
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This paper reviews the development of archaeology and related disciplines at Northern Territory University. It examines how this has proceeded along a different path to the one originally envisaged by Rhys Jones for the university.... more
This paper reviews the development of archaeology and related disciplines at Northern Territory University. It examines how this has proceeded along a different path to the one originally envisaged by Rhys Jones for the university. Regional isolation and funding constraints have prevented the growth of the large archaeology department recommended by Jones, while a decline in anthropology staffing levels over recent years has placed pressure on both research and teaching. Nevertheless research outcomes remain good, testimony to the huge potential of northern Australia and adjacent regions for archaeological endeavour. Despite difficult times the future of research in archaeology and associated disciplines at Northern Territory University remains promising and exciting. Dedicuted to Rhys Jones ( / 94 /-200/) "Exploratory research over the past 20 years has revealed that the tropical region of the Northern Territory is one of the prime archaeological provinces in Australia. Resear...
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Review(s) of: Strangers on the Shore: Early Coastal Contacts in Australia, edited by Peter Veth, Peter Sutton and Margo Neale, 236 pp, National Museum of Australia Press, Canberra, 2008, ISBN 9781876944636 (pbk).
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In 1824 a mW/my station, ForI Dundas, was jiJrmed on Melville island in northern Australia. This represented the first attempt to establish a British presence in the northern part oJ the continent. Despite initial high hopes that it would... more
In 1824 a mW/my station, ForI Dundas, was jiJrmed on Melville island in northern Australia. This represented the first attempt to establish a British presence in the northern part oJ the continent. Despite initial high hopes that it would become a permanent base, Fort Dundas lasted less than jive years. For the duration of its brit;/ existence this small and isolated military outpost relied on convict workers for the development and maintenance oJbasic infrastructure. This paper examines convict labour in the con/ex! 0/ isolation and physical depravation, and the resistance and social arNculation that this engendered. The material manifestation o/convict work is examined through evidence obtained by archaeological excavation ofthe site Qfthe settlement s commissariat store. The proficiency ofconvict work at the store site is assessed by integrating archaeological and archival injhrmation. Comment is made on what the evidence may tell liS ofthe level Qfconvict craftsmanship, the comp...
This volume represents the first compilation of archaeological research for the Darwin region. The collection of papers in this volume focuses archaeological attention on a single region from a variety of perspectives, over a time period... more
This volume represents the first compilation of archaeological research for the Darwin region. The collection of papers in this volume focuses archaeological attention on a single region from a variety of perspectives, over a time period from 4000 years ago to the Second World War. Some papers expand upon former research on subsistence and settlement of past millennia, while others are groundbreaking in their treatment of the material remains of the very recent past. The aim is to make the results of this research accessible to the general public, as well as to archaeologists and historians.
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The Maluku region of eastern Indonesia has a long history of human occupation. People have been living in these islands for at least 32000 years (Bellwood, 1997: 187), and possibly as long as 40-60 000 years (Spriggs, 1990: 57: 1998: 53).
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This paper reviews the development of archaeology and related disciplines at Northern Territory University. It examines how this has proceeded along a different path to the one originally envisaged by Rhys Jones for the university.... more
This paper reviews the development of archaeology and related disciplines at Northern Territory University. It examines how this has proceeded along a different path to the one originally envisaged by Rhys Jones for the university. Regional isolation and funding constraints have prevented the growth of the large archaeology department recommended by Jones, while a decline in anthropology staffing levels over recent years has placed pressure on both research and teaching. Nevertheless research outcomes remain good, testimony to the huge potential of northern Australia and adjacent regions for archaeological endeavour. Despite difficult times the future of research in archaeology and associated disciplines at Northern Territory University remains promising and exciting.
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This thesis considers the association between western Melanesian ethnographic economic specialisation and prehistoric systems of production and distribution. Contrasting theories for the development of historical specialisation are... more
This thesis considers the association between western Melanesian ethnographic economic specialisation and prehistoric systems of production and distribution. Contrasting theories for the development of historical specialisation are reviewed and the criticism made that these are chronologically limited to the late Holocene. The statement is made that to fully appreciate temporal change we must expand our view to encompass the preceramic period. Obsidian is one of the few archaeologically visible materials which was distributed in both preceramic and ceramic times. This material is chosen as a “measuring device” to map variation in production and distribution patterns in the Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea. A review of ethnographic and anthropological literature revealed that the Admiralty Islands were characterised by a high level of village or lineagebased economic specialisation. Obsidian was one of the materials produced and distributed within this system. A study was carried ...
The six papers in this book are written by scholars of material culture pursuing interpretations in archaeological, historical and ethnographic contexts. All contributors have worked in northern Australia or Southeast Asia, and the papers... more
The six papers in this book are written by scholars of material culture pursuing interpretations in archaeological, historical and ethnographic contexts. All contributors have worked in northern Australia or Southeast Asia, and the papers they have produced form something of a spectrum of difference across our regions of interest. The book, through these selected case studies, illustrates pathways along which objects might contextually alter within the Arafura region, one of the most culturally divers regions on earth. Contributors include: Jill Forshee and Chris Healey, Dan Dwyer, David Bulbeck and Barbara Rowley, Clayton Fredericksen, Patricia Puig and Ian Walters, Malene Bjornskov.
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... Source X. The first significant appearance of Lou obsidian occurs in Spit 3 (50 cm below ... and exchange, an issue central to much of Wai&#x27;s research over the last 25 years. ... Fredericksen, C. 1994 Patterns in Glass:... more
... Source X. The first significant appearance of Lou obsidian occurs in Spit 3 (50 cm below ... and exchange, an issue central to much of Wai&#x27;s research over the last 25 years. ... Fredericksen, C. 1994 Patterns in Glass: Obsidian and Eco-nomic Specialisation in the Admiralty Islands. ...
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... o f T iw in a rrativ e. Page 9. 296 Clayton Fredericksen ... com.). Tambu's cell On 13 November 1824, soon after their arrival, the British sank a well inside their edg-ling settlement (Ennis 1825: 13). This was excavated to a... more
... o f T iw in a rrativ e. Page 9. 296 Clayton Fredericksen ... com.). Tambu's cell On 13 November 1824, soon after their arrival, the British sank a well inside their edg-ling settlement (Ennis 1825: 13). This was excavated to a depth of 9m (30 feet) (Camp-bell 1834: 132). ...
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Prisons play an important role in the Australian psyche. As places in which the lawless element of society is incarcerated they possess a resonance that harks back to the stereotyped and mythologised convict foundations of the Australian... more
Prisons play an important role in the Australian psyche. As places in which the lawless element of society is incarcerated they possess a resonance that harks back to the stereotyped and mythologised convict foundations of the Australian nation. Many former places of confinement have been transformed into publicly accessible heritage sites and museums, but visitor numbers often do not reflect
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... resulting report is a useful reference not only for assisting in managing the site ... situated on a highway, would probably not be considered a major tourist destination in its ... worthwhile; in addition, some comments noted the... more
... resulting report is a useful reference not only for assisting in managing the site ... situated on a highway, would probably not be considered a major tourist destination in its ... worthwhile; in addition, some comments noted the excavation specifically such as 'Archaeological site is great ...