Debitage

Copies held: Department of .Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology, University of New England, Armidale; Dixson Library, University of New England, Armidale; Coonabarabran Local Aboriginal Land Council, Coonabarabran; National Parks and Wildlife Service, Coonabarabran and Dubbo; Coonabarabran Town Library; Gunnedah Town Library; Australian Museum, Sydney. THE IMPORTANCE OF QUARTZ IN STONE Present affiliation: Department of Archaeology and PalaeoanARTEFACT ASSEMBLAGES: A TECHNOLOGICAL thropology, University of New England, Annidale, NSW, 2350. ANALYSIS OF FIVE ABORIGINAL SITES OF THE COONABARABRANMARRUMBUNGLEREGION OFF THE SHELF OUT OF THE MUSEUM: THE RETRIEVAL OF PLANT MATERIAL FROM THE Patrick Gaynor AUSTRALIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD This thesis analyses a stone assemblage with a large quartz component spanning 20,000 years from the Late Marie Colvill This thesis reviews techniques currently available for the Pleistocene to contact time from the Coonabarabraflarrumbungle region of northwestern NSW. Attributes applicable study of archaeobotanical remains, details current archaeoto quartz could be identified and linked to human behaviour, logical methods and assesses their potential for retrieval of which was seen to vary over time. In addition, spatial vari- plant remains. Excavation and curation methodologies fieation in five stone assemblages from the study area, was quently ignore the potential of macroscopic plant remains, analysed. Results fiom both analyses showed that there were or contribute to its loss. By investigation of material availsome signs of human behaviour present in the quartz por- able from two past excavations, Botobolar 5 rockshelter, tion of the assemblages that were not present in the fine- NSW (Pearson 1981) and the Seton Site, Kangaroo Island, SA (Lampert 1981) it was possible to characterise the nature grained portion and vice versa. This research addressed some of the practical difficulties and extent of this loss and identify potential sources of more faced by archaeologists analysing quartz artefacts. These site information. In the first case study, careful curation of Macrozamia problems are generally well known to archaeologists. Many stone artefact assemblages in Australia and indeed around remains from Botobolar 5 allowed a new synthesis of inthe world, contain large percentages of these types of arte- formation from ethnobotanical, archaeological, taphonomic facts. The problems archaeologists experience with quartz and toxicological studies which were not available at the time assemblages begin initially with the recognition of quartz of excavation. Detoxification of Macrozamia, by roasting artefacts as genuine artefacts. Following that is the difficulty alone, is strongly supported for this site. Comparison with of finding attributes that can be used for analysing whole similar remains from other sites suggests the feasibility of assemblages regardless of the raw material present. The extending this technique from the Aboriginal groups of main attributes used in conventional methods of assessing northeastern New South Wales to other east coast groups. artefact technology are seldom found in quartz. The Seton Site case study, though supplying a wider These difficulties have been instrumental in leading many range of curated material, clearly illustrated many of the 'researchers in the past to analyse only the fine grained arte- problems associated with earlier approaches to plants in the facts in assemblages. Fine-grained artefacts were made of Australian archaeological record. Examination of the plant flint, chert, jasper, mudstone, chalcedony or any other micro- material did not indicate plant subsistence strategies or even crystalline stone. Due to the infrequent analysis of quartz, the wide diversity of habitats proposed by fauna1 studies. the technology of quartz artefacts is poorly known in Aust- This could have been due to the continual reduction of potential plant data by cultural or environmental factors, or ralia and in many other parts of the world. This research suggests that the difficulties associated with the methods of retrieval practised at this particular site. the analysis of qu& may be overcome by selecting a range of technological attributes that can be compared with other References raw materials. Selected attributes are tested in this thesis in Larnpert, R.J. l98 1 The Great Kartan Mystery. Canberra: Department of Prehistory, Research School of Pacific Studies, The order to determine whether leaving out the quartz portion of Australian National University. Terra Australis 5. an assemblage would result in missing important aspects of Pearson, M. 1981 Seen through different eyes : Changing land use Aboriginal behaviour. In this manner, the relative imporand settlement patterns in the upper Macquarie River region tance of quartz in assemblages could be assessed. of NSW, from prehistoric times to 1860. Unpublished Ph.D. This thesis documents the importance of quartz in the thesis, Department of Prehistory and Anthropology, The CoonabarabranAVarmmbungleregion as well as in a wider Australian National University, Canberra. Australian context. As the technology of quartz is currently Degree and University: B.A.(Hons) Department of Archpoorly known in Australia and the world, these frndings will aeology and Anthropology, The Australian National Univerhelp researchers to better understand the importance of quartz sity, Canberra. to prehistoric knappers. Date submitted: November 1995. Degree and University: M.A.(Hons), Department of Arch- Copies held: Australian institute of Aboriginal and Tomes aeology and Palaeoanthropology, University of New Jkg- Straits Islander Studies, Canberra, ACT; Department of Archland, Arm idale. aeology and Anthropology, The Australian National UniverDate Submitted: July 1996. sity, Canberra, ACT.
Amidale; The Ngarrindjeri Heritage Committee, Tailem Bend; The Uniapon School, Faculty of Aboriginal and Islander Studies, University of South Australia, Underdale. Present affiliation: The Uniapon School, Faculty of Aboriginal and Islander Studies, University of South Australia, Underdale.

64

Australian Archaeology, Number 45, 1 997