Australia: The Land Where Time Began

A biography of the Australian continent 

1. 29,000    Bone Cave, southwestern Tasmania.
2. 26,000    Devil's Lair southwestern Australia
3. 22,750    Cave Bay Cave, southwestern Tasmania.
4. 22,000    Warreen Cave, southwestern Tasmania.
5. 21,000    New Guinea II, southern highlabnds, Victoria.
6. 20,000    Kutikina Cave, southwestern Tasmania.
7. 18,000    Clogg's Cave, southern highlands, Victoria.
8. 18,000    Liang Lemdubu, Aru Islands.
9. 17,000    Batari, Papua New Guinea.
10. 13,000    Liang Bebulei Lisa, Aru Islands.
11. 11,000    Seton, Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
12. 10,200    Wyrie Swamp, South Australia.
13. 10,000    Koongine Cave, South Australia.
14.   8,000    Rocky Cape South Cave, southwestern Tasmania.
15.   7,000    Nawamoyn, Arnhem Land, Nortehrn Territory.
16.   7,000    Malangangerr, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory
17.   4,000    Roonka, South Australia.
18.                Widgingarri Shelters 1 & 2, west Kimberley, Western Australia.

1. Bone Cave, southwestern Tasmania. In this deposit 13 bone tools were found in layers that ranged from 29,000 BP to 14,000 BP, 13,700 +/- 860 BP (Beta-26509);  29,000 +/- 520 BP (Beta-29987). (Bowdler et al., 1977,1984; White & O'Connell, 1982; Ranson et al., 1983; Allen et al., 1989b; Webb & Allen, 1990b; Flood, 1995; Holdaway & Porch, 1996).
2. Devil's Lair southwestern Australia. 13 bone points were found, most dating to more than 26,000 BP, most to less than 20,000 BP. One bone point, made from a whole macropod fibula, was 149.42 mm long. It was found directly associated with charcoal that was originally dated to 19,250 +/- 900 BP (ANU-1361). It has since been redated to 24,930 +/- 335 BP. A number of other bi-points, 22 mm long, made from macropod bone segments, have been found. A 14 mm-long object, made from the proximal end of a bird fibula, that is thought to have been an awl, had a highly polished, pointed distal end. (Dortch & Merrilees, 1973; Dortch, 1984, 2004)
3. Cave Bay Cave, southwestern Tasmania. Bone artefacts, including bone points and a spatulate bone tool form, have been found in levels that date from 22,750 +/- 420 BP (ANU-1498) and 20,850 +/- 290 BP (ANU-1612). In a level dated 19,520 +/- 300 BP (ANU-1774), a  bone tool with a spatulate end was found. A ground bone point, about 90 mm long, made from macropod fibula was associated with charcoal that dated to 18,550 +/- 600 BP (ANU-1361). 4 bone points were found in the shell midden deposits in layers that dated from 6,640 +/- 100 BP (ANU-1797) and 3,960 +/- 110 BP (ANU-1614). (Bowdler et al., 1977,1984; White & O'Connell, 1982; Ranson et al., 1983; Allen et al., 1989b; Webb & Allen, 1990b; Flood, 1995; Holdaway & Porch, 1996).
4. Warreen Cave, southwestern Tasmania. Between 22,000 BP and 18,000 BP, 6 bone tools were found, 17,880 +/- 135 BP (Beta-42066), 21,980 +/- 310 BO (Beta-26960). (Bowdler et al., 1977,1984; White & O'Connell, 1982; Ranson et al., 1983; Allen et al., 1989b; Webb & Allen, 1990b; Flood, 1995; Holdaway & Porch, 1996).
5. New Guinea II, southern highlabnds, Victoria. 4 bone points made from macropod fibula were found that dated to bertween 21,000 +/- 800 BP (SUA-2222) and 4,660 +/- 110 BP (SUA-2217). (Ossa et al., 1995).
6. Kutikina Cave, southwestern Tasmania. A stout bone unipoint that dated to between 20,000 BP & 15,000 BP.
7. Clogg's Cave, southern highlands, Victoria. A bone point was recovered from a layer between level that dated to 17,720 +/- 840 BP (ANU-1044) and 13,690 +/- 350 BP (ANU-1182). Late Pleistocene levels have produced "burnishing pebbles", stones that were used to treat animal skins to make them soft and pliable. (Flood, 1980).
8. Liang Lemdubu, Aru Islands. 3 bone points were found in levels dating to between 18,000 BP & 9,000 BP. Between a level dating to between 16,570 +/- 510 BP (OZD460) and 9,250 +/- 60 BP (OZF357), 1 bone point was found. 2 bone pints were found from dates around 16,770 +/- 110 BP (AA-32848), 16,850 +/- 120 BP (OZF248), 17,750 +/- 450 BP (OZC776), 13,330 +/- 300 BP (OZC777). (O'Connor et al., 2006a,b); Pasveer, 2006).
9. Batari, Papua New Guinea. ground bone from this deposit has been dated to 16,850 +/- 700 BP (ANU-40). It has been suggested that the early date may not relate to early occupation of the site. A bipoint, as well as other small bone points, are from unstratified deposits or from deposits that date to <8,230 +/- 190 BP. (ANU-38a). There was also a complete, unstratified bone unipoint. (White, 1972; Davidson & Noble, 1992).
10.  Liang Bebulei Lisa, Aru Islands. 11 bone tools, mostly unipoints and spatulate, from levels dating between 13,000 BP to 9,000 BP. 8,420 +/- 50 BP (OZF030), 9,320 +/- 60 BP (OZD696), 9,630 +/- 60 BP (OZD697), 9,750 +/- 60 BP (OZD698), 9,870 +/- 70 BP (OZD699), 9,450 +/- 60 BP (OZD700), 9,850 +/- 60 BP  (OZD702). (O'Connor et al., 2006a,b); Pasveer, 2006).
11. Seton, Kangaroo Island, South Australia. In deposits dated to 10,940 +/- 60 BP (ANU-925), 2 bone points were found that had use-wear. (Lampert, 2001).
12. Wyrie Swamp, South Australia. In levels dating from between 10,200 BP and 8,000 BP were found 25 wooden artefacts made from sheoak (Casuarina stricta). There were boomerangs, digging sticks, spears with simple sharpened points and spears with barbed points. 10,200 +/- 159 BP (ANU-1292), 8,990 +/- 120 BP (ANU-1293) (Luebbers, 1975).
13. Koongine Cave, South Australia. A bone point was found that is believed to date from between 10,000 BP & 9,000 BP. 9,240 +/- 100 BP (Beta-15996), 9,710 +/- 180 BP (Beta -14861) (Frankel, 1986).
14. Rocky Cape South Cave, southwestern Tasmania. 37 bone points were recovered from the caves at Rocky Cape, dating from between 8,000 BP and 3,500 BP, mostly from 8,000 BP to 5,000 BP.
15.  Nawamoyn Arnhem Land, Nortehrn Territory. A variety of bone points were found throughout the midden deposits that had accumulated from 7,110 +/- 130 BP (ANU-53). No bone points were found in the sand layers below the midden. (Schrire, 1982).
16. Malangangerr, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. A variety of bone points were found throughout the midden deposits that had accumulated from 7,110 +/- 130 BP (ANU-53). No bone points were found in the sand layers below the midden. (Schrire, 1982).
17.  Roonka, South Australia. At this site bone points were recovered from elaborate burials. Among the items found was a 29 cm long bone implement that is believed to have possibly been a "pointed bone dagger". It was found in Grave 106 that has been dated to between 8,000 & 4,000 BP. In Grave 108 were found many bone pins used for fastening animal skin cloaks. This grave was later than 4,000 BP. (Pretty, 1977, Flood, 1995; Pate et al., 1998).
18. Widgingarri Shelters 1 & 2, west Kimberley, Western Australia. In this deposit were groiund bone points and bone "indenters", and the appearance of srone points with pressure flaking. It is thought the bone points may be pressure flakers. (O'Connor, 1996,1999).

• Timeline of sites that contain beads and other adornments
• Timeline of sites with Notational Pieces in Central Australia
• Timeline of first appearance of components of the package in Sahul
• Timeline of Australian Sites Where Ochre has Been Found
• Timeline of prehistoric mining and quarrying in Australia
• Timeline of Burials from Greater Australia
• Timeline of Shell Middens of Sahul (Greater Australia)
• Timeline of Grindstones of Sahul (Greater Australia)
• Timeline of Bone & Wooden Tools of Sahul (Greater Australia)
• Timeline of edge-ground & waisted hatchets of Sahul (Greater Australia).

Sources & Further reading

1. Josephine Flood, Archaeology of the Dreamtime, J. B. Publishing
2. Phillip J. Habgood & Natilie R. Franklin, The revolution that didn't arrive: A review of Pleistocene Sahul, Journal of Human Evolution, 55, 2008