Archaeology of the recent: Wooden artefacts from Anbangbang 1 and Djuwarr 1, western Arnhem Land

Abstract

In 1985, Annie Clarke analysed botanical materials from Anbangbang 1 and Djuwarr 1, Kakadu National Park, western Arnhem Land. The 49 wooden artefacts from Anbangbang 1 and 20 wooden artefacts from the Djuwarr 1 site in Deaf Adder Gorge are now in the collections of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT). This research involves a re-examination of these artefacts in terms of their morphological and functional attributes. They are interpreted within the context of ethnographic observations and information from Arnhem Land archaeological sites of a comparable age, particularly those combining archaeology with rock art research. The study shows convergence between the archaeology, rock art and ethnography, indicating the importance of spears in the life of Aboriginal people, in this case reed spears and spears with barbed heads. The study also documents variability as regards seasonality of site use and hunting patterns in response to environmental changes around 1,500 BP.

Keywords:

• Archaeology
• late Holocene
• northern Australia
• wooden artefacts
• Arnhem Land
• spears
• Aboriginal technology

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the assistance of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in curating the materials from Anbangbang 1 and Djuwarr 1 and providing access. The authors thank the Traditional Owners of Kakadu National Park, who granted permission for the original fieldwork in 1981. The authors also thank the ANU North Australian Research Unit for accommodation. The article has benefitted from comments from anonymous referees and the editors.

Disclosure statement

No conflicts of interest have been reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a New Directions Research Grant from the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.