Australian Aboriginal prehistoric sites

This is a list of Australian Aboriginal prehistoric sites.

Key:

• BGS = Below ground surface
• C14 = Radiocarbon date
• char. = charcoal
• OSL = Optical stimulated thermoluminescence
• AA = Australian Archaeology

Locality	Reference	Lab no.	Age yrs BP	Type of date	Type of site
New South Wales
Cuddie Springs					Open site
Northern Territory
Malakunanja II	Roberts et al. Nature 1990	KTL 162	61,000^+9,000 −13,000	OSL	Lowest artefact at 260 cm BGS
Malakunanja II		KTL 158	52,000^+7,000 −11,000	OSL	Artefacts at 250 cm BGS
Malakunanja II		KTL 164	45,000^+6,000 −9,000	OSL	Artefacts at 230 cm BGS
Malakunanja II		SUA 256	18,040±300	C14 char.	Associated with ochre and grindstone
Nawalabila I	Roberts et al. AA 1993	Ox-od K169	60,300±6700	OSL	Artefacts at 285–302 cm BGS
Nawalabila I		Ox-od K170	58,300±5800	OSL	Base of rubble auger hole
Nawalabila I		Ox-od K168	53,400±5400	OSL	Artefacts at 228–240 cm BGS
Nawalabila I		Ox-od K166	30,000±2400	OSL	Artefacts at 170–175 cm BGS
Nawalabila I		SUA 237	19,975±264	C14 char.	Lowest C14 date
Nawalabila I		Ox-od K172	13,500±900	OSL	Artefacts at 104–110 cm BGS
Nawalabila I		Ox-od K171	2,900±600	OSL	Artefacts at 1–6 cm BGS
Malanganger	Roberts et al. Nature 1990	KTL 126	32,000±7,000	OSL	Lowest artefacts at 200 BGS
Malangangerr	C.White 1967, 1971	ANU 77B GaK 629 GaK 628	22,900±1000 22,700±700 19,600±550	C14 char.	earliest ground edge axes
Nawamoyn	C.White 1967,1971	ANU 51	21,450±380	C14 char.	Ground edge axes
Puritjarra	M.A.Smith Nature 1987	Beta 19901	21,950±270	C14 char.	Artefacts below this estimated to be 30,000 BP
South Australia
Warratyi	doi:10.1038/nature20125
Tasmania
Kutikina "spirit"	[1]		15–20,000		Rock shelter
Nunamira "sleeping place"	[2]		30,420±690		Rock shelter, 60 cm BGS
ORS 7	[3]		30,840±480		Rock shelter, 60 cm BGS
Bone Cave	[4]		13,700-35,000		Rock shelter
Western Australia
Rottnest Island	Charles Dortch, The West Australian 23 June 2003	ANU & James Cook Uni	70,000^+10,000 −20,000	U/Th C14	flint tool embedded in Tamala limestone (Aminozone C)
Upper Swan Bridge	Pearce and Barbetti AO 1981	SUA 1500 SUA 1665	39,500^+2,300 −1,800 37,100^+1,600 −1,300	C14 char.	Campsite Occupation 88–96 cm BGS Occupation 75–80 cm BGS
Mandu Mandu Creek RS	Morse AO 1988; Antiquity 1993; Bowdler 1992	Wk 1513 Wk 1576 SUA 3454	34,299±1050 30,000±850 25,200±250	C14 baler shell C14 nodule	Shell necklace Early occupation
Devil's Lair	Dortch 1984	SUA 585/6	32,800±830	C14 char.	Pooled age

References

1. "Kutikina Cave". Australia: The Land Where Time Began. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
2. "Nunamira Cave". Australia: The Land Where Time Began. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
3. "Rock Shelter ORS 7". Australia: The Land Where Time Began. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
4. "Bone Cave". Australia: The Land Where Time Began. Retrieved 4 July 2022.

Josephine Flood (2004) Archaeology of the Dreamtime, J.B Publishing, Marleston ISBN 1-876622-50-4