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The Changing Provenance of Red Ochre at Puritjarra Rock Shelter, Central Australia: Late Pleistocene to Present

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

M. A. Smith ,
B. Fankhauser  and
M. Jercher
M. A. Smith
Affiliation:
People and Environment section, National Museum of Australia, GPO Box 1901, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia. Email address: [email protected]
B. Fankhauser
Affiliation:
Division of Archaeology and Natural History, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
M. Jercher
Affiliation:
Anger Strasse 27, 40593, Oüsseldorf, Germany
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Abstract

In this paper we apply geochemical sourcing methods to an assemblage of ochre from archaeological excavations at the Puritjarra rock shelter in western central Australia. Our work indicates that the red ochre in Late Pleistocene contexts at this rock shelter is from Karrku, a subterranean ochre mine still worked today by Walbiri people. Archaeological finds at Puritjarra indicate that exploitation of this source of high-grade red ochre had begun by 32,000 BP and has continued without significant interruption since then. Changes since the Late Pleistocene in the type and quantity of red ochre reaching the Puritjarra shelter, from various sources including Karrku, provide means to test current models of regional prehistory in this part of arid Australia and illustrate some of the potential of this approach for regional studies.

Résumé

Dans cet article les auteurs employent les méthodes géochimiques d'identification de source sur un assemblage d'ocre provenant des fouilles archéologiques à l'abri-sous-roche à Puritjarra dans l'ouest de l'Australie centrale. Le travail indique que l'ocre rouge dans les contextes du pléistocène tardif à cet abri-sous-roche provient de Karrku, une mine souterraine d'ocre qui est encore aujourd'hui exploitée par la race des Walbiri. Des découvertes archéologiques à Puritjarra indiquent que l'exploitation de cette source d'ocre de première qualité avait été commencée au plus tard 32 000 av. J.C. et continue sans interruption signifiante depuis ce temps. Des changements depuis le pléistocène tardif en ce qui concerne le type et la quantité de l'ocre rouge qui parvenait à l'abri, de divers origines, y inclus Karrku, fournissent les moyens de mettre les modèles courants de la préhistoire régionale à l'épreuve dans cette partie de l'Australie aride et servent à titre d'exemple du potentiel de cette démarche pour les études régionales.

Zusammenfassung

Dieses Referat erklärt die von den Autoren angewendeten geochemischen Quellenmethoden an Assemblagen des Ockers bei archäologischen Ausgrabungen bei dem Puritjarra - Felsenschuppen in Westzentralaustralien. Diese Arbeit weist darauf hin, dass der Eisenocker bei diesem Felsenschuppen im Rahmen des spät-pleistozänen Zeitalters von Karrku ist, ein unterirdisches Ockerbergwerk, welches noch heute vom Walbiri Stamm bearbeitet wird. Archäologische Funde bei Puritjarra lassen annehmen, dass die Ausbeutung der Fundgrube mit hochwertigem Eisenocker um 32000 v. Chr. begann und seitdem ohne irgend eine bedeutende Unterbrechung so weitergeführt wurde. Veränderungen, die seit dem spät-Pleistozänen Zeitalter bezüglich der Art und Menge des Eisenockers, vorkamen und die von den verschiedenen Fundstellen und auch von Karrku den Puritjarra - Schuppen erreichten, liefern Mittel mit deren Hilfe die aktuellen Modelle der regionalen Vorgeschichte in diesem trockenem Teil Australiens und manches Potential dieser Methoden der regionalen Studien geprüft und illustriert werden können.

Résumen

En este artículo los autores aplican métodos geoquímicos para la determinación de procedencia a una colección de ocre de las excavaciones arqueológicas en el Puritjarra Rock Shelter, Australia centro-occidental. El trabajo de investigación indica que el ocre rojo de los niveles del Pleistoceno Tardío en este yacimiento proviene de Karrku, una mina de ocre subterranea todavía en uso hoy en dia por el pueblo Walbiri. Hallazgos arqueológicos en Puritjarra indican que la explotación de esta fuente de ocre de alta calidad había comenzado ya hacia el año 32,000 a.C., y que ha continuado sin interrupciones de importancia desde entonces. Los cambios desde el Pleistoceno Tardío en el tipo y cantidad de ocre que llegaba a Puritjarra desde varias fuentes que incluyen Karrku, sirven para comprobar los actuales modelos interpretativos de la prehistoria de la región en esta parte de la Australia árida, demostrando el potencial de este enfoque para estudios regionales.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 64 , January 1998 , pp. 275 - 292
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1998

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