Murujuga: Dynamics of the Dreaming Lab work continues!
Stone artefact and shell counting and analysis continues for the write-up of the 14 different site where we undertook subsurface investigations. While COVID-19 restrictions have closed much of the UWA Campus, Wendy Reynen and Zane Blunt have been in the Archaeology Lab finishing off this important task.
On Friday, Geologist John Fairweather (who completed his Honour’s project last year) came in to assist with the final identification of geological sources (using a portable XRay Fluorescence (pXRF) device) for the excavated assemblages (thanks to Annette George, Geology, for facilitating). This work helps to understand both the stone material variability within certain assemblages, as well as understanding where people were targeting specific quarries to make their artefacts.
Wendy has been documenting some amazing artefacts across the archipelago, while Zane continues to discover plant residues from these various assemblages. Further work on the Dentalium bead manufacturing site on Enderby Islands revises the bead count to c. 960 beads and/or fragments (in a 1.0 x 0.5 m test square).
Analysis continues to document the extraordinary heritage values of this cultural landscape!