Minjiwarra: archaeological evidence of human occupation of Australia’s northern Kimberley by 50,000 BP

Abstract

Recent archaeological research in Australia's north-eastern Kimberley has luminescence dated a large red sedimentary feature, known as Minjiwarra, with artefacts in stratified contexts from the late Holocene to ~50,000 years ago. This site is located on the Drysdale River, with preliminary excavations undertaken as part of an ARC Linkage Project. Deeply stratified sites in association with rockshelters are uncommon across the NE Kimberley. Basal dates at open cultural deposits vary greatly thorough the NE Kimberley. Most of them are mid-Holocene in age. However, Minjiwarra appears to cover the entire span of potential human occupation in this region, with associated lithic technology, reported on here.

Determining the origin and changing shape of landscape‐scale rock formations with three‐dimensional modelling: The Borologa rock shelters, Kimberley region, Australia

“…To address how and when Borologa 1–3 formed, we undertook high‐resolution three‐dimensional (3D) mapping of the study area, along with geomorphological and sedimentological investigations. Individual blocks along the slope below the lower cliff‐line (E3 on Figure 3), including those of Borologa 1–3, were digitally three‐dimensionally conjoined to each other and to the cliff‐line, their retro‐fitting enabling reconstruction of the landscape before the arrival of people in the region more than 50,000 years ago (Veth et al, 2019; see also Clarkson et al, 2017), as determined from geomorphological reconstruction studies and cosmogenic exposure dating of vertical escarpment and matching detached block faces (the two white stars in Figure 3).…”

Evaluating human responses to ENSO driven climate change during the Holocene in northwest Australia through macrobotanical analyses

“…While monsoon rainforests are evidently important locations for food plant collection the findings presented here also reflect the types of sites targeted by archaeologists, that is, caves and rockshelters. Caves and rockshelters were traditionally occupied only during wet seasons, coinciding with the availability of monsoon rainforest fruits, whereas during the dry months, when resources like yams and seeds are exploited, people would move to open campsites (Scarlett, 1985) for which archaeological records remain limited (but see, for an exception, Veth et al, 2019). Open-site contexts might preserve evidence of the use of botanical resources collected during the drier months, show evidence for seed grinding activities, and possibly demonstrate changes in plant use linked with ENSO driven climate change that are not observable in the cave and rockshelter macrobotanical sequences analysed here.…”

A different paradigm for the colonisation of Sahul

“…The authors accept settlement at 50 ka consistent with an increasing number of sites dated to 45–55 ka (Boodie Cave, Minjiwarra , Carpenter's Gap 1, Karnatukul , Nawarla Gabarnmang , Waturi Jurnti , Yurlu Kankala , Devil's Lair, Warratayi , Willandra Lakes and the Ivan Valley (Veth et al . 2019). However, 50 ka clearly falls short of the new optically‐stimulated luminescence chronology of c.60 ka for Nauwalabila and c.65 ka for Madjedbebe (Clarkson et al .…”