Benjamin, Jonathan, O'leary, Michael, McCarthy, John, Reynen, Wendy, Wiseman, Chelsea, Leach, Jerem, Bobeldyk, Simon, Buchler, Justine, Kermeen, Philippe, Langley, Michelle, Black, Adam, Yoshida, Hiro, Parnum, Iain, Stevens, Amy, Ulm, Sean, McDonald, Jo, Veth, Peter, and Bailey, Geoff (2023) Stone artefacts on the seabed at a submerged freshwater spring confirm a drowned cultural landscape in Murujuga, Western Australia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 313. 108190.

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Abstract

We report the discovery and identification of five ancient stone artefacts associated with a submerged freshwater spring at the underwater archaeological site WH1 in Murujuga (Dampier Archipelago), Western Australia. A limiting date applied to the site based on timing of inundation suggests it was occupied in the Late Pleistocene or Early Holocene. The site is situated well below the intertidal zone having been recorded at 14 m depth in Flying Foam Passage. This discovery highlights the high potential of these submerged springs as archaeological survey targets. We discuss results of a recent survey that expands the number of confirmed artefacts located at WH1 and the geomorphological context in a large calcareous depression associated with a freshwater source. This study demonstrates how submerged landscape research using a suite of technologies can reveal archaeological assemblages in this tropical geomorphological environment, and that adapted techniques could be applied to other tropical conditions such as mangrove coasts, large deltaic plains, or reef-building environments. There are likely thousands of drowned archaeological sites on the continental shelf of the tropics, extending from the intertidal zone to the lowest point of the culturally occupied landmass, at approximately 130 m below modern sea level.

Item ID:	79136
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1873-457X
Keywords:	Archaeology; geomorphology; submerged landscapes; sea-level rise; Holocene; Pleistocene; Australia; Continental Shelf; lithics
Copyright Information:	© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This article is available under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND license and permits non-commercial use of the work as published, without adaptation or alteration provided the work is fully attributed.
Funders:	Australian Research Council (ARC)
Projects and Grants:	ARC DP170100812
Date Deposited:	26 Jun 2023 04:24
FoR Codes:	43 HISTORY, HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY > 4301 Archaeology > 430101 Archaeological science @ 25% 43 HISTORY, HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY > 4301 Archaeology > 430108 Maritime archaeology @ 25% 45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4501 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, language and history > 450101 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander archaeology @ 50%
SEO Codes:	13 CULTURE AND SOCIETY > 1307 Understanding past societies > 130703 Understanding Australia’s past @ 100%
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