RESEARCH ARTICLE
How do we distinguish termite stone lines from artefact horizons? A challenge for geoarchaeology in tropical Australia
M. A. Smith,
Ingrid Ward,
Ian Moffat,
Corresponding Author
M. A. Smith
Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia
Correspondence Mike Smith, Department of Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
Email: mike.smith@nma.gov.au
Search for more papers by this authorIngrid Ward
School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorIan Moffat
Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Search for more papers by this authorM. A. Smith,
Ingrid Ward,
Ian Moffat,
Corresponding Author
M. A. Smith
Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia
Correspondence Mike Smith, Department of Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
Email: mike.smith@nma.gov.au
Search for more papers by this authorIngrid Ward
School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorIan Moffat
Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Search for more papers by this authorScientific editing by Kevin Walsh
Abstract
Can we distinguish stone lines created by termite bioturbation from genuine artefact horizons? This is a challenge for field archaeology and geoarchaeology in northern Australia, where termites are abundant. We review published data to (a) present a model of the evolution of stone lines and (b) develop guidelines for recognizing these bioturbation products in archaeological contexts. In case studies, we examine Madjedbebe and Nauwalabila, two sites in northern Australia. The early occupation levels at these sites are pivotal to ideas about initial human occupation of the Australian landmass but there are claims these are unrecognized stone lines. Our assessment is that neither Madjedbebe nor Nauwalabila contain termite stone lines, although both sites may have complex geomorphic and taphonomic histories.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
I. W. and I. M. declare no conflict of interests in writing this paper. M. S. advises that he was a member of excavation teams at Madjedbebe in 1989, 2012, and 2015, a member of the 1989 field team that reopened the trench at Nauwalabila to obtain OSL samples, and was co-author of publications on the chronology and stratigraphy of these sites.
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