Rowe, Cassandra, Stevenson, Janelle, David, Bruno, Delannoy, Jean-Jacques, and Proske, Ulrike (2025) Palynological pairing of archaeological rock shelter and swamp deposits on the Arnhem Plateau: Holocene ecological changes at Nawarla Gabarnmang and Swamp 7, Northern Territory. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. (In Press)

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Abstract

Nawarla Gabarnmang is a rock shelter complex in Jawoyn Country, on the Arnhem Plateau in the central north of the Northern Territory, Australia. The site has been examined archaeologically, geomorphologically and for its rich and well-preserved rock art gallery. This paper introduces palaeoecology into this research, seeking to situate the site’s sedimentary sequences in ecological space. Palynological analysis of excavated sediments from the rock shelter was paired with a sediment core collected from a nearby swamp. Each of these sequences effectively registered Holocene vegetation change from its nearby environment. Nawarla Gabarnmang’s palynology provides insights into the ecosystem structure and composition of the central Arnhem Plateau’s rocky country. Swamp 7 expands the picture into a more regional understanding of drainage basin woodlands, as well as monsoonal forest and wetland plant communities. The charcoal from the swamp sequence also signals a long history of landscape burning. Through the pollen and associated charcoal records, we explore at nested spatial scales Holocene Indigenous landscape practices for this central part of the Arnhem Land plateau, focusing on fire, habitat change and maintenance. Environmental–climate controls, notably variations in moisture as determined by characteristics of the Holocene Australian monsoon, are also examined. This study enables a valuable comparison between palaeoecological change on the Arnhem Plateau and surrounding coastal lowlands.

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