Nale Tasih 2: journey of a Middle Palaeolithic raft

Bednarik, Robert G.; Hobman, Bob; Rogers, P J

doi:10.1111/j.1095-9270.1999.tb00819.x

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…At low sea levels, the gap between the Australian continent and Timor was reduced to c. 100 km, and the early human colonization of Australia across this gap via bamboo rafts has been hypothesized (Birdsell, 1977; Bednarik et al. , 1999).…”

Section: Historical Biogeographymentioning

confidence: 99%

A multi‐scale biogeographical analysis of Bambusa arnhemica, a bamboo from monsoonal northern Australia

Franklin¹,

Bowman

2004

Journal of Biogeography

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Aims To identify the edaphic, environmental and historical factors influencing the patchy distribution of the semelparous bamboo Bambusa arnhemica F. Muell. at global, catchment and streambank scales.Location The entire range of B. arnhemica, a highly fire-prone savanna matrix with generally infertile soils in the north-west of the Northern Territory of Australia above the 1200 mm mean annual rainfall isohyet.Methods Distribution surveys were conducted by air, boat and on the ground. Plot data were collected throughout the range of the species.Results Bambusa arnhemica occurred predominantly in gallery forests on floodprone but nevertheless well-drained and deep alluvial soils on sloping stream banks. It ranged widely along lentic watercourses from ephemeral headwater streams to the banks of major rivers and levees on the coastal floodplain. The species did not occur in savannas; savannas adjacent to B. arnhemica gallery forests were also flood-prone and on deep alluvial soils, but were upslope on level ground. Bambusa arnhemica's infrequent non-riparian occurrences were on a wide variety of substrates but generally on soils of moderate fertility and in coastal and/or rocky areas where at least partial topographic protection from fire is likely. Within and between catchments, the distribution of B. arnhemica was idiosyncratic, occurrence being almost always continuous downstream from highly variable 'starting' points to the poorly drained coastal floodplain.Main conclusions At local scales, B. arnhemica appears constrained by poor drainage and high fire-frequencies. Enhanced soil fertility may increase its capacity to cope with fire. At the catchment and global scales, we propose that the distribution of B. arnhemica is the product of infrequent and as yet incomplete dispersal across and away from watercourses by seed that lacks specialized dispersal mechanisms, combined with passive dispersal along streams. From this we infer that B. arnhemica is neither a very recent, nor very ancient colonist from Asia. Bambusa arnhemica's circumscribed global distribution has no parallel amongst co-occurring rain forest plants and may be the product of poor dispersal capacity and a substantial rock and floodplain barrier to the east. Limited dispersal capacity may be inextricably linked to local domination of space and the subsequent creation of regeneration space by parental death.

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Section: Historical Biogeographymentioning

confidence: 99%

A multi‐scale biogeographical analysis of Bambusa arnhemica, a bamboo from monsoonal northern Australia

Franklin¹,

Bowman

2004

Journal of Biogeography

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“…Understanding the route of AMH dispersal through Wallacea is not just an academic pursuit. It can assist with interpretations of early marine technologies and consequently aspects of tool development, communication and social/community structures (Bednarik et al , ; Balme, ). With over 2000 islands in Wallacea, understanding the most likely route(s) taken by AMHs is also advantageous when selecting particular islands for archaeological attention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing Palaeogeography and Inter‐island Visibility in the Wallacean Archipelago During the Likely Period of Sahul Colonization, 65–45 000 Years Ago

Kealy

Louys

O’Connor

2017

Archaeological Prospection

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The palaeogeography of the Wallacea Archipelago is a significant factor in understanding early modern human colonization of Sahul (Australia and New Guinea), and models of colonization patterns, as well as archaeological survey and site interpretation, are all heavily dependent on the specific palaeogeographic reconstruction employed.Here we present five reconstructions for the periods 65, 60, 55, 50, and 45 000 years ago, using the latest bathometric chart and a sea-level model that is adjusted to account for the average uplift rate known from Wallacea. Using this data we also reconstructed island areal extent as well as topography for each time period. These reconstructions were then used to estimate visibility for each island in the archipelago, and finally to model how intervisible each island was during the period of likely human colonization. Our models provide the first evidence for intervisibility between Timor and Australia at ca. 65-62 ka and 47-12 ka, the second of which is notable for its overlap with the oldest radiocarbon dates from Timor-Leste and Australia. Based on intervisibility alone, however, our study suggests that the northern route into Papua New Guinea was the most parsimonious route for first modern human entry into Sahul. Our study provides archaeologists with an important baseline from which to conduct physical surveys, interpret archaeological data, and theorize the colonization of Wallacea and Sahul.

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“…Thus it was that Macassan camp sites were concentrated from Cobourg Peninsula east to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and along the Kimberley coast in the west (Macknight 1973(Macknight , 1976, a distribution that almost perfectly excises the coast adjacent to which B. arnhemica grows (Franklin & Bowman 2004). A plausible but hypothetical case has been made that Aboriginal people could have reached Australia on bamboo rafts (Flood 1995, Bednarik et al 1999. The Indigenous people of northern Australia made considerable use of B. arnhemica, principally as spear shafts but also for production of didgeridoos, long-stemmed smoking pipes, ceremonial frames, water carriers, wood-carving chisels and rafts (Tindale 1925, Bindon 1991, Marrfurra et al 1995, Blake et al 1998.…”

Section: Taxonomic Appraisals Of Australian Bamboosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic interpretations of Australian native bamboos (Poaceae: Bambuseae) and their biogeographic implications

Franklin¹

2008

Telopea

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Australia's three native bamboo species -Bambusa arnhemica, Mullerochloa moreheadiana and Neololeba atra -are restricted to northern Australia. The most parsimonious explanation for the occurrence of bamboo in Australia is that there have been at least three founder events from Asia, but other possibilities exist including an Australian radiation involving Neololeba and Mullerochloa. Bambusa arnhemica may be allied to the Asian B. blumeana which occurs as close as Timor. I summarise historical evidence and biogeographic patterns for B. arnhemica, and describe the flowering wave phenomenon in the species, evidence which collectively suggests that B. arnhemica is neither very ancient nor very recent in origin. Current studies of the population genetics of B. arnhemica, and of the relationship between Australian and Asian bamboos, may yield fascinating further biogeographic insights.

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Nale Tasih 2: journey of a Middle Palaeolithic raft

Cited by 8 publications

References 10 publications

A multi‐scale biogeographical analysis of Bambusa arnhemica, a bamboo from monsoonal northern Australia

A multi‐scale biogeographical analysis of Bambusa arnhemica, a bamboo from monsoonal northern Australia

Reconstructing Palaeogeography and Inter‐island Visibility in the Wallacean Archipelago During the Likely Period of Sahul Colonization, 65–45 000 Years Ago

Taxonomic interpretations of Australian native bamboos (Poaceae: Bambuseae) and their biogeographic implications

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