Research interests include topics outside as well as inside Australia, for instance my own work on the Late Stone Age and Iron Age of West Africa has recently led to the publication of the Archaeology of Benin, by Oxford University Press.  Further material is in preparation for publication concerning the Lake Chad area of N.E. Nigeria. Likewise, Iain Davidson is presently completing work on man-environment relationships during the late Pleistocene in Spain

Connah, Graham

Australian Archaeology

Flinders Academic Commons

Australian Archaeology    Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.au  Full Citation Details: Connah, G 1975. Current Research at the Department Of Prehistory and Archaeology University of New England.  'Australian Archaeology', no.3, 28-31.  CURRENT RESEARCH AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PREEISTORY AND A R W L W Y  UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND Our research in te res t s  include topics  outs ide as w e l l  a s  ins ide Australia, f o r  instance my own work on the Late Stone Age and Iron Age of West Africa has recently led t o  the  publication of fie ArchaeoZogy of Benin by Oxford University Press and I have fu r the r  material  i n  preparation fo r  publication concerning the Lake Chad area of N.E. Nigeria. Likewise, Ia in  Davidson is presently completing work on man-environment re la t ionships  durf ng the  late P l e i s  tocene i n  Spain. Nevertheless a nuniber of research pro jec t s  i n  the  f i e l d  of Australian archaeology a re  a l so  i n  hand and cons t i t u t e  our major growing areas of research in te res t .  A progranmP of fieldwork aud excavation i n  the lower River Macleay area has been under way s ince  1972. This work has concentrated on s h e l l  middens and has p r inc ipa l ly  involved myself, with assistance during 1974 and 1975 from Penelope Emmerson who is Research Assistant i n  the Department. I a i n  Davidson has a l s o  contributed t o  t h i s  programne but has concentrated h i s  e f f o r t s  on a site survey i n  the d i f f i c u l t  and archaeologically unknown gorge country of the  headwaters of the  River Macleay. Since Apri l  1974 he has a l s o  been building up a ske le ta l  col lect ion of indigenous fauna t o  enable us t o  ident i fy  bones from excavated sites. Penelope Emmerson and myself, i n  conjunction with John Stanley of the  Department of Geophysics, U.N.E., have also carried out f i e ld  experiments with magnetometers. A j o i n t  paper on t h i s  work was read a t  the  Canberra ANZAAS Congress i n  January t h i s  year and a modified version of t ha t  paper has recent ly  been accepted fo r  publication i n  Irkpzkind. I have a l s o  recent ly  inaugurated a survey of 19th Century h i s t o r i ca l  archaeology on the Saumarez Stat ion,  thought t o  be the ea r l i e s t  sheep run i n  the New England d i s t r i c t .  I n  addi t ion I have flown three a e r i a l  photographic s o r t i e s  of p reh is to r ic  and h i s t o r i c  s i t e s  i n  the New England and Mid North Coast areas, p i lo ted  by Frank Choate of the Department of Physical Chemistry, U.N.E. Our Department has a L i t t .  B. student, M r  Adrian Piper, conducting an archaeological survey of the Tweed Valley; and, under the continuing supervision of I sabe l  McBryde now a t  the Department of Prehistory and Anthropology, School of General Studies , A.N.U., Michael Quinnell's M.A. work on the a r t  of the  Carnarvon Ranges is reaching its conclusion. The pa r t  of our research a c t i v i t i e s  most advanced a t  the  moment is the work being done i n  the River Macleay a r ea  and i t  is perhaps appropriate t o  make some interim statement about i t  a t  t h i s  stage.  The work on the lower Macleay middens was designed t o  follow up an archaeological survey conducted by Valerie Campbell fo r  her  B.A. Honours Thesis, U.N.E. 1969. She has since published four radiocarbon da tes  f o r  samples co l lec ted  from eroding sections and auger cores from three of the middens (Campbell, EJankind 8 (1972), pp. 283-6). Excavated sect ions  of f i v e  s h e l l  middens i n  dif fer ing palaeoenvironments have been ccmpleted s ince  1972 and rescue excavation has been carried out a t  three fur ther  middens. Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.auClybucca 3 was excavated i n  1972. This is  a midden composed of  o y s t e r  and cockle s h e l l s ,  formed over a beach sand- r i d g e  a t  t h e  head of  a smal l  bay i n  the  Ple is tocene  shore l ine  some 10 k i lometres  in l and  from t h e  present  shore l ine .  Associated c u l t u r a l  m a t e r i a l  comprised a backed b lade  indus t ry  with a l i t t l e  worked bone. Animal bones were recovered and p a r t  of a fragmented human b u r i a l .  There was c l e a r  evidence t h a t  f i r e s  had been l i t  on t h e  midden a t  va r ious  times. Radiocarbon dat ing  f o r  charcoal  samples is a s  fol lows:  30-40 cm SUA 274 3360 f 120 bp 60-70 cm SUA 275 4260 120 bp 90-110 cm SUA 276 5120 2 150 bp These d a t e s  may be compared with a d a t e  f o r  Clybucca 1 published by Campbell ( see  above): This  was f o r  charcoal  from 24 t o  30 inches deep i n  an oys te r  and cockle  midden s i t u a t e d  on the  same Ple is tocene  shore l ine ,  a t  a d i s t a n c e  of about 5 k i lometres  East of Clybucca 3. A da te  of 4220 + 90 bp (GaK 834) has  been obtained by Hai ls  f o r  oys te r  and cockle s h e l l s  c o l l e c t e d  s i x  f e e t  below high water mark i n  the  same a rea  (Thorn, Ha i l s  and Mart in,  Mar-he Geology, 7 (1969) , pp. 161-8) and i t  would appear from considera t ion  of these f i v e  da tes  t h a t  lagoonal  condi t ions  were ex tan t  i n  t h i s  a rea  roughly 3000-5000 years ago. A t  one time i t  was suggested t h a t  the Clybucca s i t e s  might be up t o  11,000 yea r s  o l d  (McCarthy, Records of the  Australian Musewn 21, ( l943) ,  pp. 164-7) . Trapped between t h e  Clybucca 3 midden and the  old coas t l ine  is  a sma l l  swamp i n  which the re  is  usual ly  standing water. Bernard Swan of  t h e  Department of Geography U.N.E. has examined t h i s  and is of t h e  opinion t h a t  i t  could be of s i m i l a r  an t iqu i ty  t o  the midden but  low-level a i r  photography, s o i l  p i t s  and auger t e s t s  i n d i c a t e  t h a t  i t  has  no t  preserved much organic  mater ia l .  Connection Creek 1 was excavated i n  1973. This is  an oys ter  and cockle midden s i t u a t e d  about 4 ki lometres inland from the  present  s h o r e l i n e ,  i n  an a r e a  which was poss ib ly  a former es tuary .  Associated c u l t u r a l  m a t e r i a l  comprised an  indus t ry  of f l akes  and scrapers  and one b i f a c i a l l y  f laked pebble chopper with c l e a r  use-wear on one margin. Backed b lades  were conspicuously absent .  There were a number of f i n e l y  worked double-ended bone poin ts .  The oys te r  s h e l l s  a t  Clybucca 3 showed evidence of attachment t o  s tones  but those from Connection Creek 1 had marked grooves on t h e i r  backs, suggest ing t h a t  they had grown on mangrove roo t s .  Cul tura l  mater ia l  was s c a t t e r e d  throughout t h e  midden and one s t rongly  developed black band of ash ,  charcoal ,  s h e l l s  and f i s h  bones was p a r t i c u l a a r l y  r i c h  i n  t h i s  r e spec t .  Radiocarbon dat ing  f o r  t h i s  midden is a s  follows: Charcoal 50-60 cm S U A  395/1 3720 5 100 bp Oyster  s h e l l s  50-60 cm SUA 395/2 3340 ? 100 bp Charcoal 100-110 cm SUA 369/1 3400 f 100 bp Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.auCockle s h e l l s  100-110 cm SUA 39612 3380 f 100 bp Charcoal 130-140 cm SUA 397 3790 2 130 bp (Dates on s h e l l  throughout the  present  programme of excavation were determined a s  p a r t  of Richard Gi l l e sp ies '  i nves t iga t ion  of the r e l i a b i l i t y  of techniques f o r  dat ing s h e l l . )  These dates may be compared with two d a t e s  f o r  t h i s  midden published by Campbell (see above): these w e r e  f o r  s h e l l  (mainly oyster)  co l l ec ted  by taking auger core  samples and came from depths of 28 and 25 inches respect ively .  A sect ion excavated j u s t  o f f  t h e  lower edge of t h e  midden revealed evidence suggesting 'beach' condit ions.  Stone a r t e f a c t s  were more common than i n  the  midden i t s e l f  and charcoal  and ash l ay  amongst a group of l a rge  stones.  It seems l i k e l y  t h a t  t h i s  w a s  p a r t  of an  ac tua l  l i v i n g  area.  Radiocarbon dat ing f o r  t h i s  a r e a  is a s  follows: Charcoal 40-46 cm SUA 394 4110 f 100 bp I n  1974 excavations were conducted a t  Maguire's Crossing on t h e  present  shoreline where a p i p i  midden had previously been dated by charcoal collected from an eroding s e c t i o n  by Campbell (see  above). The date  obtained by her was : This sample came from a depth of 4 t o  7 inches. The midden is exposed i n  recent coas ta l  dunes and is adjacent t o  t h e  present  h igh water mark. Excavation revealed a s e r i e s  of s h e l l  depos i t s  separa ted by c lean sand. A hearth was i so la ted  i n  one of these  and a bone po in t  recovered from another but l i t t l e  stone was present  and only a very small  p a r t  of i t  was a r t i f a c t u a l .  Samples of charcoal and s h e l l s  have been submitted f o r  fu r the r  radiocarbon dating but r e s u l t s  a r e  not  y e t  ava i l ab le .  Also i n  1974 a single-phase p i p i  midden known a s  Inner  Bar r i e r  4 was excavated on the inner sand b a r r i e r  which l ies in land of the  Ocean Swamp behind the  dunes on which t h e  Maguire's Crossing s i te  is s i t u a t e d .  There was l i t t l e  a r t e fac tua l  s tone material but charcoal  was present  and samples of t h i s  and of the  s h e l l s  have been submitted f o r  radiocarbon dating.  In  1974 and again i n  1975 excavations were conducted a t  S t u a r t s  Point  1, a very large  oyster  and cockle midden on t h e  Inner  Bar r i e r  nor th  of the present estuary of the  Macleay. This midden contained a series of hearths,  s tone a r t e fac tua l  material ,  double-ended bone po in t s ,  and much f i s h  bone as well a s  the  bones of land animals. A f r o t h  f l o t a t i o n  u n i t  of the  s o r t  described i n  Higgs Papers .in Economic Prehistory (1972) had been obtained from the  United Kingdom by I a i n  Davidson and was operated very successfully on s i t e  by Peter  I r i s h ,  a second yea r  Prehis tory  s tudent  a t  U.N.E. A subs tan t i a l  co l l ec t ion  of p l a n t  ma te r i a l  and f i s h  s c a l e s  w a s  re t r ieved.  I n  addit ion the  wet s i ev ing  following t h e  use of t h e  u n i t  Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.auallowed t h e  c o l l e c t i o n  of l a rge  quan t i t i e s  of small bones and other  mater ia l .  Radiocarbon da tes  f o r  charcoal and s h e l l s  from t h i s  s i t e  a r e  awaited. An adjacent  midden, S tua r t s  Point  4, has been radiocarbon dated by c o l l e c t i n g  oys te r  s h e l l s  from an eroding section.  This shallow midden l a y  over a double b u r i a l  i n  a p i t ,  the s k e l e t a l  mater ia l  of which was rescued i n  1972 and is  present ly  being examined by Michael Walker of the  Department of Anthropology i n  the University of Sydney. The date  is: 2-9 inches SUA 398 1670 + 90 bp Fur ther  excavation of a rescue character  has a l s o  been ca r r i ed  o u t  a t  Ryan's Cut south of Maguire's Crossing and a t  Point  Plonnner. A t  t he  l a t t e r  p lace  I a i n  Davidson and Kate Sull ivan of the  National Parks and Wi ld l i f e  Service inves t iga t ion  a shallow p i p i  midden p r i o r  t o  its des t ruc t ion  by sand mining i n  1974. I a i n  Davidson and Penelope Emmerson have begun research i n t o  the  Aboriginal  use  of the  gorge systems of the  Macleay River catchment. No evidence has  y e t  been found t o  prove t h a t  i t  was not  white settlement which made t h e  a rea  a t t r a c t i v e  t o  the  Aborigines. Nevertheless the  s t r e n g t h  of t r a d i t i o n  suggests tha t  the  gorges have long been a refuge a rea  from the  cold of the  tablelands,  and a route of access from coast t o  table lands .  Development of t h i s  research w i l l  look fo r  the r e l a t i o n s h i p s  of human use of the gorge system t o  both the  upoand and t h e  c o a s t a l  p a t t e r n s  of exploi ta t ion.  Only 5 of t h e  15 radiocarbon dates  l i s t e d  above have been published before,  another 11 dates a r e  s t i l l  awaited. Reviewing the whole series s o  f a r  ava i l ab le ,  the dates  a r e  not  without t h e i r  problems but they do seem t o  suggest  t h a t  our e a r l i e s t  evidence fo r  set t lement i n  the  lower Macleay goes back t o  some 5000 years ago and tha t  human e x p l o i t a t i o n  of the  p resen t  coas t l ine  was already possible 1000-2000 years  ago. This regional  study of Aboriginal prehistory w i l l  show the  adjustments i n  man's use  of the land during the  extensive environmental changes associa ted  with t h e  development of t h e  present  flood p la in  of the  lower Macleay. By studying other regions of the Macleay r i v e r  we hope t o  relate c o a s t a l  exp lo i t a t ions  t o  o ther  exploi ta t ions  of inland and upland regions.  Acknowledgement i s  due to  the University of New England and t h e  Austra l ian  I n s t i t u t e  of Aboriginal Studies fo r  research funds to  support  t h e  present  work. The kind cooperation of the  National Parks and Wildl i fe  Service is  a l s o  acknowledged. Richard Gi l lespie  and Associate Professor  R.B. Temple of Sydney University a r e  thanked f o r  t h e i r  cooperation i n  da t ing  s h e l l  a s  well as charcoal samples. The Department a t  the  Universi ty of New England owes its existence t o  I s a b e l  McBryde. We are very g ra te fu l  for  her  encouragement and continuing he lp  throughout t h i s  research. Graham Connah University of New England Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.au

Current Research at the Department Of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of New England

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Current Research at the Department Of Prehistory and Archaeology, University of New England

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