Australian Maritime Archaeology Research Papers (original) (raw)

In the study of archaeological or historical cultural landscapes in the maritime environment, it is most important to see the landscape and settlement (more widely-the world) as the sea[people] and fisher[people] did in the past,... more

- by and +1
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- Maritime Archaeology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Indigenous Archaeololgy

Daryl Wesley, Tristen Jones, Sue O’Connor, Jack Fenner and William R. Dickinson
Previous excavations at Malara (Anuru Bay A), a Macassan trepang processing site in Arnhem Land, produced a substantial quantity of earthenware pottery (Macknight 1969). Earthenware pottery has also been reported and collected from Macassan sites elsewhere along the Northern Territory and Kimberley coastlines. Although several studies have been undertaken on earthenwares from Macassan sites in Australia, it was uncertain whether any included sherds from the significant Anuru Bay site. This paper details the results of the analysis of earthenware sherds recovered during a recent programme of excavation and surface collection at Anuru Bay. The earthenware was analysed in order to investigate its source and to determine whether one or more regions of manufacture were evident. Our results indicate that the sole source for all of the analysed pottery was likely south Sulawesi. It would appear that the trepang fishing fleets who camped at Malara provisioned non-perishables, such as local earthenware, at the port of Makassar prior to beginning their voyage to Marege. This strengthens claims for Makassar as the major operating port for the fleets operating in the Anuru Bay area.

- by Daryl L Wesley and +2
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- Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Ceramics (Archaeology), Australian archaeology, Australian Maritime Archaeology

The first essential for a whaling voyage was a good captain. The success of the cruise and the safety of the ship and crew relied on his skill. He had to be an experienced mariner with a good knowledge of navigation, ship management, and an understanding of the sea, as well as the location of the various whaling grounds and the best time of the year to visit. He also had to be a good leader. Large crews of more than thirty men were necessary to man the whaleboats. Some would be apprentices and ordinary seamen and need considerable instruction before they became an asset to the ship. An appendix lists the names of all Sydney whaling captains, their ships and period in command.

The bibliography deals with Australian pelagic and bay whaling in the nineteenth century. It starts with some general works on the subject, followed by entries on whaling in each of the colonies. It ends with a section on Australian whalers in New Zealand and another on scrimshaw. Most entries are for books, chapters in books or journal articles. Some unpublished items are also listed, such as university thesis and archaeological reports, as well as a few newspaper articles and web sites. Some important reference works, such as published lists of ship arrivals and departures for major whaling ports, are also included.

- by Mark Howard
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- New Zealand Studies, Maritime History, Australian History, History of New Zealand

This article details the importance of the 1705 Van Delft expedition for the early European history and culture contacts of northern Australia. The expedition sailed from Batavia with three ships under the command of Maarten van Delft and spent nearly three and half months exploring along the north coast of Australia—Tiwi Islands, Cobourg Peninsula and Croker Island. Along the way, they interacted with different groups of Indigenous peoples and possibly collected the cultural material now held in the Dutch National Museum of World Cultures—the earliest known existing cultural material collected from Australia. This article provides a detailed synthesis of Indigenous interactions with the Dutch prior to 1770 and accords the Van Delft expedition its proper significance in terms of the extent and detail of its survey and its importance in ending Dutch colonial interest in Australia. Through detailed analysis of the primary sources for the Van Delft expedition, including cartography, this study demonstrates that the expedition covered parts of the Australian mainland and Croker Island, and that Van Delft’s crews interacted with mainland Indigenous groups as well as Tiwi Islanders.

- by Wendy van Duivenvoorde and +2
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- History, Maritime Archaeology, Art History, Museum Studies

This investigation into shipwrecks in the Port MacDonnell region addresses to what extent archaeological signatures inform the impact of shipwrecks, as processes and places, in the community and vice versa. A review of archaeological, archival and oral history data is undertaken to achieve several aims. These include identifying the remains of a wooden shipwreck seasonally exposed in the beach and a group of timbers located at the Port MacDonnell Maritime Museum. Also, the concept of shipwrecks as places in the landscape and local attitudes towards shipwrecks is explored. Finally, the impacts shipwrecks have on rural coastal communities is identified using a framework based around shipwreck response, exploitation and memorialisation landscapes. This research is archaeologically significant as it contributes to the theme of shipwrecks as places; an understudied area which has the potential to reveal meaningful interpretations about human behaviour. Furthermore, it is significant as the behaviours, attitudes and values of a community with a strong maritime identity and a history of responding to, exploiting and memorialising shipwrecks are recorded.

Recent archaeological research at Port MacDonnell has attempted to identify the remains of a wooden shipwreck seasonally exposed in the beach. The identity of this shipwreck has been a local mystery for many years. During two periods of fieldwork (March and July), archaeological, probe, ground penetrating radar, and magnetometer surveys were conducted in order to determine the extent of the half-exposed shipwreck. Additionally, timber samples were taken with the first results confirming its identity as an Australian-built ship. Oral history interviews were also conducted as part of this research in order to obtain additional information about the vessel, but also to answer broader questions about shipwrecks as places in the landscape and the impacts shipwrecks had and have on rural coastal communities and vice versa. This paper will provide preliminary results of a year-long project into shipwrecks in the Port MacDonnell community.

- by Madeline Fowler and +1
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- Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology

Of the many ships that must have been associated with moving wheat and flour between John Lucas’ watermills in the Georges River basin and market there is only 2 for which we have a name. The Olivia, a schooner of 60 tons, owned by the Lucas family was used to take wheat from the family farms in Van Diemen’s Land to his mill’s and the Alligator, a schooner of 198 tons stranded in the entrance of the Georges River when trying to deliver wheat to Lucas’ mills. The newspapers of the day reported their tonnage and the sailing rig but nothing else is known about them as records of ships registered prior to 1840 are incomplete. This article discusses what we can learn about the size of these ships.

This monograph was written for the Maritime Archaeological Association of New Zealand (MAANZ) and the Friends of the Cerberus in order to promote the preservation of this historic vessel. The monograph examines the significance of the... more

- by James Ashwell
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- Maritime Archaeology, Maritime History, Historic Preservation, Naval History

Maritime activities at Point Pearce Aboriginal Mission/Burgiyana (1868–1966) in South Australia form the basis of an oral history, archaeological, and archival case study. This research assesses whether the maritime cultural landscape framework, a Western maritime archaeological concept, is applicable to Indigenous missions. The results of research at Point Pearce/Burgiyana indicate that care must be taken when applying maritime archaeological theories and associated attitudes to Indigenous archaeology ('with, for and by' Indigenous peoples). However, the application of a Western framework contributes towards the decolonization of maritime archaeology by accommodating the beliefs, knowledges, and lived experiences of Aboriginal peoples.

This paper provides the results of research into the shipwreck landscapes of Port MacDonnell, South Australia. The aim of the research is to offer a framework for assessing the impact on communities and vice versa. It presents a discussion of the theoretical underpinnings to this study and some previous case studies using other frameworks that are relevant. It also provides an analysis of the methodological approach to documenting the myriad ways in which shipwrecks impact on historical and contemporary society. Finally, the results of the research conducted at Port MacDonnell in 2011 will be summarised and incorporated into a framework that includes three identified shipwreck landscape themes: response, exploitation and memorialisation.

Together, archaeological evidence and oral histories better inform our understanding of the interaction between abandoned vessel sites and communities. While the maritime and historic archaeological record can reveal salvage and reuse activities, material culture does not always reflect a direct link between the two. In this study of abandoned vessel material salvage and reuse at Rangitoto Island, Aotearoa / New Zealand, oral histories collected from the owners of baches—small and modest holiday homes—serve as a linkage tool that tie the two together. Furthermore, the archaeological and historical significance of this tangible and intangible cultural heritage serves to foreground the Rangitoto Island community’s current struggle to have this legacy recognised.

- by Madeline Fowler and +1
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- Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, New Zealand Studies

This paper provides a retrospective examining the significant contributions of Richard 'Dick' Allan Gould (1939-2020) to the development of archaeological theory and method globally, with particular reference to the Australian context. Following the death of Dick in March 2020, a number of colleagues, friends and former students collaborated to produce a tribute to his extensive contributions to our discipline. The breadth of Gould's archaeological influence is remarkable considering the highly specialised and regional approaches of many archaeologists today. Archaeological areas represented in this overview include Anthropological Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Hunter-Gatherer Studies, Experimental Archaeology, Cultural Resource Management, Disaster Archaeology, and Maritime and Underwater Archaeology. In relation to Australia, Gould pioneered research examining Indigenous colonisation and adaptations related to the desert core during a time period when most archaeologists focused on coastal and riverine regions. He was one of the first archaeologists in Australia to consult Aboriginal communities regarding excavation and associated research involving pre-contact sites. The Anthropology Division of the South Australian Museum provided a base for Gould's arid-land research in the Warburton Ranges of adjacent Western Australia. In addition, his examination of social complexity among hunters in California influenced Graeme Pretty’s research at Roonka on the Lower Murray River of South Australia.

- by Donald Pate and +3
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- Human Ecology, Ethnoarchaeology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Desert Ecology

This research employs the concept of ‘archaeologies of attachment’, with its emphasis on material culture and intangible heritage, and applies it to an Indigenous Australian seascape – an approach rarely or thoroughly combined in maritime studies. The seascape investigated is the Wardang Island (Waraldi/Wara- dharldhi)/Point Pearce Peninsula (Burgiyana) area in South Australia. This region (and the wider Yorke Peninsula area) is the traditional country of the Narungga people. Collaborative fieldwork with Narungga people has revealed the importance of combining archaeological surveys with place-based oral history interviews to understand the extent of Narungga attachment to this seascape. In particular, place-based interviews conducted with Narungga elders contributed vital ‘lived experiences’ to the understanding of the archaeological record, providing a meaningful and textured account of the past.

- by Amy Roberts and +2
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- Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Historical Archaeology

The COVID-19 pandemic is transforming the global labour market, including the Australian archaeological profession. This, the fourth in a series of comprehensive surveys of Australian professional archaeologists undertaken in early 2020, provides longitudinal data on trends in the state of the archaeological profession in Australia. Findings include the early impacts of COVID-19. Headline results show a young (average age 42 years), well-qualified (92% holding an Honours degree or higher), well-renumerated (average salary AUD102,430) workforce focused on Indigenous archaeology (65%), working in the private sector (60%), and predominantly based on the eastern seaboard (78%). Longitudinal data show an expanding archaeological industry in Victoria and a softening of demand in all other states and territories, particularly Western Australia. Sex and age data show a profession dominated by females (58%) with increasing numbers of young females in the career pipeline (average age of males 46 years and females 40 years). Indigenous participation rates in professional archaeology remain low (1.9%). The impact of COVID-19 had a considerable effect on confidence in stability or growth in the coming year, with a slump of 15% across the profession after the declaration of the pandemic. But confidence remained positive at 58% overall. Data show slowing wages growth (6.5% over 5 years compared to the national average of 11.4%) and a continuing profound gender pay gap of 18.8%, or on average males taking home $17,800 more than females.

- by Sean Ulm and +1
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- Archaeology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian archaeology, Australian historical archaeology

Results from comprehensive surveys of Australian professional archaeologists undertaken in 2005 and 2010 are considered in the context of disciplinary trends, focusing on changes in access and participation, archaeological workplaces, qualifications and skill gaps. Strong growth is demonstrated in the professional archaeology sector between 2005 and 2010, showing substantial restructuring in the last five years, with an increase in Indigenous archaeology and a corresponding decrease in other subfields, especially historical archaeology. An analysis of self-assessed skill sets and skill gaps shows that the training of many professionals continues to leave significant gaps in core skill and knowledge areas which are consistent across industry subfields.

- by Sean Ulm and +2
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- Archaeology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Archaeological Education, Australian archaeology

This paper details the unique pairing of Indigenous and maritime archaeological approaches in the ‘(Re)locating Narrunga Project’. Narrunga was a ketch built by the Narungga Aboriginal community at Point Pearce Mission (Yorke Peninsula, South Australia) at the turn of the twentieth century and later sunk in the 1940s. It is argued that convergences between the scholarly interests of Indigenous and maritime archaeological approaches have been slow to develop and that maritime archaeology as a sub-discipline has not capitalized on the insights that can be gained from collaborative approaches between communities and practitioners. Similarly, Indigenous communities in Australia have had few opportunities to work with researchers to record their maritime heritage. As is evident in the Narrunga story told in this research, non-Indigenous records have been complicit in underplaying the maritime achievements and skills of Narungga people and collaborative research can work towards decolonizing this past.

- by Amy Roberts and +2
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- Maritime Archaeology, Indigenous Archaeololgy, Collaboration, Australian Indigenous Archaeology

- by Dr. Susanne Rawson
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- Archaeology, Australian Maritime Archaeology

Little is known about shipbuilding in Australia in the early to mid 19th century. Under the Australian Research Council (ARC) funded Australian Historic Shipwreck Preservation Project (AHSPP) (www.ahspp.org.au), underwater excavations were carried out in April-May 2012 on the historic trading schooner Clarence, wrecked in shallow waters at Port Phillip Bay, Victoria in September 1850. During excavations, cores collected by lead investigator Peter Veth and principle investigator Vicki Richards were found to contain clay-rich sediment, thought to be ballast. This discovery stimulated investigations of the micro-sedimentary environments and taphonomy associated with the vessel, especially fine-grain sediment supply to the wreck and current and tidal influences on the stability of sediments lodged in and around the site. In order to address these questions, sediment samples were collected from the wreck, seabed and adjacent shorelines. Clay fractions were analysed at the Australian National University (ANU) using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Key objectives were to compare mineral signatures in the 'ballast' from clay-rich sources on the seabed and coastal foreshores possibly incorporated as the vessel foundered. Results successfully differentiate a) individual samples by seabed location and b) "ballast" samples in the wreck structure from sampled points around the wreck. The findings suggest that fine sediment within the Clarence shipwreck is likely to be clay ballast, emplaced at some point during the schooner's working life. The results also inform questions regarding the longer-term conservation of Clarence and similar wrecks located in Australian and Southeast Asian shallow-water settings.

Increasingly archaeologists are opting for on-site examination, reinterment and insitu preservation of underwater cultural heritage sites as the first option in the management of sites at risk as opposed to the more traditional excavation, recovery, conservation and display/storage methods. This decision will inevitably be based on significance assessment, degree of perceived risk and resourcing issues. However, long-term monitoring must become an integral part of these management programmes in order to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of the in-situ preservation techniques employed. Absence of monitoring is equivalent to abrogation of responsible management and in some cases can be considered tantamount to cultural vandalism. In 2012 the Australian Historic Shipwreck Preservation Project (AHSPP) commenced, having secured funding through a substantial Australian Research Council Linkage Grant with 10 Australian Partner Organisations and three universities. One of the major aims of the project is to develop a protocol for the excavation, detailed recording and reburial of significant shipwrecks under threat, fostering a strategic national approach for the management of underwater cultural heritage sites at risk. Two historically significant shipwreck sites were chosen for this longitudinal comparative study-the Clarence (1850) located in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria and the James Matthews (1841) which lies in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia. Both sites have been preserved in situ using two very different but innovative remediation strategies. More importantly a long-term monitoring programme has been implemented which will characterise changes in the reburial environment and the effect on the reinterred materials. In this way, the efficacy of both in-situ preservation techniques will be systematically tested, providing a comparative analysis of practical protocols for the long-term protection and management of underwater archaeological resources.

- by Vicki Richards
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- Engineering, History, Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology

Regional-scale assessments have proven to be invaluable frameworks for research, public engagement and management of submerged archaeological landscapes. Regional-scale approaches have been implemented internationally through a variety of academic or strategic studies. Such studies represent a much-needed next step towards subregional and site-level prospection to support management, engagement and mitigation of the impacts of offshore development. However, these regional studies are largely absent in Australia. In this article, we build on the recent discovery of submerged archaeological sites in Western Australia and produce a novel regional-scale assessment of submerged archaeological and cultural landscape potential in the coastal and island regions of the Northern Territory. This area is of special significance in the peopling of Australia, containing some of the oldest dated archaeological evidence. We collate and synthesise regional data related to sea-level change, ethnograp...

A comprehensive survey of Australian professional archaeologists undertaken in 2015 is used to explore key aspects and emerging trends in the state of the archaeological profession in Australia. Comparisons are made with data collected using the same survey instrument in 2005 and 2010 to allow consideration of longer-term disciplinary trends related to working conditions, changing participation and access, trends in qualifications and workplace confidence and re-evaluating skills gaps identified in previous surveys. Substantial changes in the archaeological workplace are identifiable with deterioration in employment conditions and an increasingly casualised workforce, contrasting with a growth in professionalisation observed through an increasingly qualified workforce. Restructuring of the discipline observed in previous surveys, showing increases in Indigenous archaeology and a corresponding decrease in other subfields, are less pronounced. Survey data demonstrate the Australian archaeological workforce to be a highly qualified discipline by world standards but also a discipline that is being reshaped by downsizing of government regulation of heritage issues and volatility in the private sector related to external economic factors.

- by Geraldine Mate
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- Geography, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology

This research employs the concept of ‘archaeologies of attachment’, with its emphasis on material culture and intangible heritage, and applies it to an Indigenous Australian seascape – an approach rarely or thoroughly combined in maritime studies. The seascape investigated is the Wardang Island (Waraldi/Waradharldhi)/Point Pearce Peninsula (Burgiyana) area in South Australia. This region (and the wider Yorke Peninsula area) is the traditional country of the Narungga people. Collaborative fieldwork with Narungga people has revealed the importance of combining archaeological surveys with place-based oral history interviews to understand the extent of Narungga attachment to this seascape. In particular, place-based interviews conducted with Narungga elders contributed vital ‘lived experiences’ to the understanding of the archaeological record, providing a meaningful and textured account of the past.

- by Amy Roberts
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- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Collaboration, Australian Indigenous Archaeology

The Australian Historic Shipwreck Preservation Project (AHSPP) is a collaborative national project funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant, which began in early 2012. With ten state, territory and federal Partner Organisations working with three universities, this is the largest inter-institutional maritime archaeological project run so far in Australia.

- by Ian MacLeod
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- Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Publishing, Archaeological Conservation

Archaeological research in north Queensland has helped transform our understanding of Australia’s diverse and dynamic history. Researchers working across this region have pioneered methodological and theoretical advances and have consistently published results that have stimulated debate and advanced knowledge both within Australia and further afield. Papers in this volume reflect the range of themes explored in a new wave of research in north Queensland initiated in the last decade.

- by Sean Ulm and +1
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- Archaeology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian historical archaeology, Australian Maritime Archaeology