Temporal limits to the archaeological record in arid western NSW, Australia : lessons from OSL and radiocarbon dating of hearths and sediments

• Main Authors: Fanning, P., Holdaway, S
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2001
• Subjects: Sahul; Archaeology; Radiocarbon; SahulArch; OCTOPUS database; Pacific; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6369744; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6369744

The Western NSW Archaeology Program (WNSWAP) has been investigating surface scatters of Aboriginal stone artefacts and associated heat-retainer hearths in arid northwestern NSW, Australia, since 1995. The research combines new methods for documenting and analysing stone artefact scatters with an understanding of geomorphic landscape dynamics to seek insights into spatial and temporal patterns of Aboriginal occupation of the arid margin of Australia during the Late Holocene. The temporal dimension is dealt with in two ways: by radiocarbon determinations on charcoal from the remains of heat-retainer hearths associated with the artefact scatters, and by using optically simulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon determinations from valley fill sediments to develop a chronology of landscape evolution of the valleys in which the artefacts and hearths are found. The heat-retainer hearths produced a record of just less than 2000 years of activity within the valley of Stud Creek, a 30 square km catchment in Sturt National Park. . Australasian connections and new directions: proceedings of the 7th Australasian Archaeometry Conference, 85--104. The 7th Australasian Archaeometry Conference was held at the University of Auckland from February 5 th to the 9 th 2001 under the auspices of the Centre for Archaeological Research and the Department of Anthropology. There were 81 full conference delegates in attendance from 10 countries and 61 papers were presented in 7 different sessions covering all the major areas of current research in archaeometry and archaeological science. Thirty three of the papers presented are contained in these proceedings. From Antarctica to Japan and from DNA to stone tools, this volume provides a useful overview of the issues, geographical areas and scientists who are leading archaeometric research in the greater Pacific region. In particular the volume speaks of the important and lively cooperation that exists between archaeology and the physical and biological sciences in Australasia.