Madjedbebe Rock Shelter

Madjedbebe

Australia · Northern Territory

CaveUnknown
Approximate periodLate Pleistocene–HoloceneLate Pleistocene–Holocene; the initial dating to approximately 65,000 years ago is disputed See on the map ↓

In brief

Excavations have been carried out on multiple occasions at the sandstone shelter in Mirarr Country. The proposed date of approximately 65,000 years ago for the lower layers plays an important role in debates about the initial settlement of Australia. Stone tools and plant remains show that a variety of foods were processed and consumed.

What was found?

  • 1Grinding stones

    Use-wear and residues on the stones show that plant foods and pigments were processed. Some stones were used for different tasks.

  • 2Edge-ground axe heads

    Axe heads, grinding stones and flakes detached from ground surfaces were found. These document the manufacture and maintenance of axes.

  • 3Processed ochre

    Traces of pigment processing show that coloured mineral substances were ground and prepared. Researchers associate these findings with technological and symbolic behaviours.

  • 4Charred fruits and nuts

    Fruit and nut remains have been recovered from ancient hearths. The preserved fragments reveal the diversity of plants used for food.

  • 5Root and tuber remains

    Underground storage organs used as food have been identified. According to researchers, these demonstrate the importance of plant knowledge and food preparation skills.

What does it point to?

The finds show that labour was devoted to processing plant foods as well as gathering them. According to researchers, grinding, axe maintenance and pigment preparation were different skills practised at the same location; the initial dating to approximately 65.000 years ago remains disputed among researchers.

What did it teach us?

  1. Use-wear and residue analyses showed that grinding stones were used for more than food preparation.
  2. Charred plants documented a varied diet including fruits, nuts, roots and tubers.
  3. According to the researchers' early dating, axe-edge grinding and intensive pigment processing were already present during the early settlement phase of Sahul.

Latest news / selected archive

A study published in 2020 identified 10 types of plant foods, including fruits, nuts, tubers, and palm stem, among charred remains recovered from ancient hearths.

Record

Culture
Aboriginal Australian communities; Mirarr Country
First modern dig
1973
Team / historical
Chris Clarkson, University of Queensland, and Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation
Coordinates
-12.5000°, 132.8833°

Sources

  1. news.uq.edu.au
  2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. digital.library.adelaide.edu.au
  4. en.wikipedia.org
  5. PNAS — Güneydoğu Asya ve Sahul'a ilk yerleşimin tarihlenmesine ilişkin değerlendirme

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12.000

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