Trialing Geophysical Techniques in the Identification of Open Indigenous Sites in Australia

A Case Study from Inland Northwest Queensland

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11955565
AutoresIan Moffat (0000-0002-2171-7145, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia, autor de correspondencia), Lynley Wallis (0000-0002-9324-8069, Department of Archaeology, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia), Alice Beale (Western Australian Museum), Darren Kynuna (Woolgar Valley Aboriginal Corporation, c/- 11 Harris Street, Richmond, QLD, 4822, Australia)
Año2008
Volumen66
Número1
Páginas60-63
Fecha de publicación2008-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAustralian Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0312-2417 • E-ISSN: 2470-0363
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03122417.2008.11681868
OpenAlexW1658631149
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas11
Referencias citadas6

The use of geophysical techniques as an aid to archaeological investigations has become common-place, however these methods have only occasionally been applied in Indigenous Australian archaeology. This is despite recognition (and recommendations) since the 1970s that such approaches have the potential to yield positive results in such contexts (e.g. Connah et al. 1976; Stanley 1983; Stanley and Green 1976). Australian archaeologists have perhaps been reluctant to embrace these techniques because of their perceived high cost (both of equipment and specialist staff) and the subtle nature of subsurface Indigenous sites as geophysical targets. Nevertheless, there have been a number of recent applications of these techniques in Australia, particularly in relation to burial and hearth sites. We report the results of a pilot study conducted in northwest Queensland. This study aimed to test the applicability of geophysical methods being routinely employed to locate a variety of open site features (particularly hearths and middens) as part of reconnaissance surveys. While not being entirely successful, this study demonstrated that certain archaeological features can be readily identified using geophysical techniques, though further research and trials should be carried out to refine the uses of these techniques to allow their more widespread applicability

Archaeology · Art · Geography · Hearth · Identification (biology · Indigenous · Project commissioning · Publishing · Variety (cybernetics · Computer Science · Engineering · Geophysical and Geoelectrical Methods · Geophysical Methods and Applications · Image Processing and 3D Reconstruction · Artificial Intelligence · Ecology · Geology · Geophysics