107:, is responsible for the displacement of sediment layers and artifacts at both Nauwalabila I and Madjedbebe. Smith et al. (2020) developed a criteria to diagnose the impacts of bioturbation caused termite stone layers and ultimately determined that termite activity did not have a significant impact on the stratigraphy of Nauwalabila I. More recently, Williams et al. (2021) disputed this conclusion and claimed that Smith et al.'s diagnostic criteria was insufficient. Williams et al. claimed that previously retrieved OSL and radiocarbon dates supports a post-depositional, downward displacement of sediments and artifacts, meaning that the site is unlikely to 65,000 years old.
96:
below this depth have since been the subject of question, as most do not correlate with the TL dates for the
Nauwalabila I samples mentioned above. Instead, these analyses were rejected likely due to vertical displacement of both sediments and artifacts. Based on these findings, it has been suggested that Nauwalabila I is no older than 40,000 BP.
92:
53,000-60,000 years. These dates were further corroborated by more specific TL dates from
Nauwalabila I samples, resulting in a date bracket of 53,400 +/- 5,400 to 60,300 +/- 6,700 BP. Overall, the broad age of 50,000-60,000 BP has been generally accepted, but skepticism over the integrity of the Nauwalabila I samples has persisted.
95:
Dating the upper layers of the deposit was achievable via TL, OSL, and radiocarbon, where there was strong agreement between the dates proposed by each technique. For depositional layers below 1.5 m, however, dating has been more difficult and beyond the range of reliable radiocarbon dating. Analyses
67:
and Ian
Johnson in 1981. It was then that Jones and Johnson were able to uncover over 30,000 stone artifacts from the site, which spanned 3.0 m in depth. The upper 2.5 m of the deposit consisted of distinct stratigraphic layers of sand, while the lower to basal portion contained rubble and compacted
91:
Given its close proximity to
Madjedbebe, which was dated to be 50,000-65,000 years old, Nauwalabila I was anticipated to be a similar age. Earlier research suggests this to be the case, where OSL dates from Nauwalabila I were in agreement with TL dates from Madjedbebe, providing an age range of
144:
fragments, have been uncovered in nearly every layer of these deposits. Specifically, these pigment concentrations are observed in peaks throughout the deposit, occurring every two thousand years since 6,000 BP, with the first peak dating back to 12,000-13,000 BP. This date estimate may also
127:
flakes. For the majority of the lower layers, quartz dominated as the primary material of any unmodified flakes, but there was a brief period, dating 3,000-19,000 BP, where chert was more prominent than quartz. At the basal layer, tools likely to be scraper edges were uncovered and dated to
128:
19,000-25,000 BP. Additionally, axe fragments were uncovered throughout the deposit, dating back to 30,000 BP. Other tools found in this deposit include quartzite lauwk blades (1,000 BP) and hafted stone chisels (4,000 BP).
58:
Similar to the discovery of the
Madjedbebe site, Nauwalabila I was first made known in the early 1970's, through the Alligator Rivers Environmental Fact Finding Study, before being initially excavated in 1972-73 by
83:(TL) methods. Eventually, samples from Nauwalabila I also underwent TL dating methods. Since then, the site has not undergone any more excavations, but subsequent research have made use of the original samples.
34:, this site is one of the oldest in terms of human settlement in Australia, with its estimated age being greater than 50,000 years. Nowadays, this site can be found in
263:"Radiocarbon analysis of the early archaeological site of Nauwalabila I, Arnhem Land, Australia: implications for sample suitability and stratigraphic integrity"
355:"Identifying disturbance in archaeological sites in tropical northern Australia: Implications for previously proposed 65,000‐year continental occupation date"
494:
184:"The human colonisation of Australia: optical dates of 53,000 and 60,000 years bracket human arrival at Deaf Adder Gorge, Northern Territory"
79:(OSL) dating. These samples were closely compared to similar stratigraphic layers from the Madjedbebe site, where such samples were dated by
489:
261:
Bird, M. I.; Turney, C. S. M.; Fifield, L. K.; Jones, R.; Ayliffe, L. K.; Palmer, A.; Cresswell, R.; Robertson, S. (2002-04-01).
446:
311:"How do we distinguish termite stone lines from artefact horizons? A challenge for geoarchaeology in tropical Australia"
76:
182:
Roberts, Richard G.; Jones, Rhys; Spooner, Nigel A.; Head, M. J.; Murray, Andrew S.; Smith, M. A. (1994-01-01).
75:
In 1989, Bert
Roberts conducted another excavation on the original deposit, this time, collecting samples for
64:
396:
262:
183:
80:
397:"Dating the colonization of Sahul (Pleistocene Australia–New Guinea): a review of recent research"
353:
Williams, Martin A. J.; Spooner, Nigel A.; McDonnell, Kathryn; O'Connell, James F. (2021-03-01).
43:
35:
115:
The 1981 excavation by Jones and
Johnson yielded over 30,000 artifacts, primarily made of
8:
354:
310:
221:
69:
27:
278:
466:
416:
374:
330:
282:
203:
199:
222:"Kakadu National Park | Australia, Map, Location, Facts, & History | Britannica"
458:
408:
366:
322:
274:
195:
60:
462:
412:
483:
470:
420:
378:
334:
286:
207:
149:
found nearby. Such
Pleistocene-Holocene rock art often featured handprints,
150:
100:
47:
31:
370:
326:
352:
124:
68:
sand. Charcoal samples from this excavation were also collected for
146:
137:
26:), is a sandstone rock shelter located in Deaf Adder Gorge in the
104:
120:
39:
42:
World
Heritage site that is partially owned by the collective
141:
116:
63:
and Harry Allen. The site was excavated more thoroughly by
16:
Ancient rock shelter in the
Northern Territory of Australia
181:
447:"Arnhem Land prehistory in landscape, stone and paint"
309:
Smith, M. A.; Ward, Ingrid; Moffat, Ian (2020-03-01).
260:
394:
481:
308:
444:
136:At both Madjedbebe and Nauwalabila I, ground
445:Taçon, Paul S. C.; Brockwell, Sally (1995).
53:
395:O'Connell, J. F; Allen, J (2004-06-01).
495:Rock shelters in the Northern Territory
482:
86:
440:
438:
436:
434:
432:
430:
390:
388:
348:
346:
344:
304:
302:
300:
298:
296:
256:
254:
252:
250:
248:
246:
244:
242:
177:
175:
173:
171:
169:
167:
165:
145:potentially apply to dynamic figure
99:There is an outstanding debate that
13:
14:
506:
490:Archaeological sites in Australia
427:
401:Journal of Archaeological Science
385:
341:
293:
239:
162:
77:optically stimulated luminescence
214:
153:, reptiles, humans, and axes.
110:
1:
279:10.1016/S0277-3791(01)00058-0
156:
200:10.1016/0277-3791(94)90080-9
7:
131:
10:
511:
267:Quaternary Science Reviews
188:Quaternary Science Reviews
65:Rhys Jones (archaeologist)
463:10.1017/S0003598X00082272
413:10.1016/j.jas.2003.11.005
30:of Australia. Along with
54:Archaeological findings
22:(formerly known as the
36:Kakadu National Park
87:Site dating dispute
226:www.britannica.com
81:thermoluminescence
70:radiocarbon dating
28:Northern Territory
371:10.1002/gea.21822
327:10.1002/gea.21766
502:
475:
474:
457:(265): 676–695.
442:
425:
424:
392:
383:
382:
350:
339:
338:
306:
291:
290:
273:(8): 1061–1075.
258:
237:
236:
234:
233:
218:
212:
211:
179:
103:, especially by
510:
509:
505:
504:
503:
501:
500:
499:
480:
479:
478:
443:
428:
393:
386:
351:
342:
307:
294:
259:
240:
231:
229:
220:
219:
215:
180:
163:
159:
134:
113:
89:
56:
17:
12:
11:
5:
508:
498:
497:
492:
477:
476:
426:
407:(6): 835–853.
384:
359:Geoarchaeology
340:
321:(2): 232–242.
315:Geoarchaeology
292:
238:
213:
194:(5): 575–583.
160:
158:
155:
133:
130:
112:
109:
88:
85:
61:Johan Kamminga
55:
52:
46:population of
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
507:
496:
493:
491:
488:
487:
485:
472:
468:
464:
460:
456:
452:
448:
441:
439:
437:
435:
433:
431:
422:
418:
414:
410:
406:
402:
398:
391:
389:
380:
376:
372:
368:
365:(1): 92–108.
364:
360:
356:
349:
347:
345:
336:
332:
328:
324:
320:
316:
312:
305:
303:
301:
299:
297:
288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
257:
255:
253:
251:
249:
247:
245:
243:
227:
223:
217:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
178:
176:
174:
172:
170:
168:
166:
161:
154:
152:
148:
143:
139:
129:
126:
122:
118:
108:
106:
102:
97:
93:
84:
82:
78:
73:
71:
66:
62:
51:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
25:
21:
20:Nauwalabila I
454:
450:
404:
400:
362:
358:
318:
314:
270:
266:
230:. Retrieved
228:. 2024-05-29
225:
216:
191:
187:
135:
114:
101:bioturbation
98:
94:
90:
74:
57:
24:Lindner Site
23:
19:
18:
111:Stone tools
48:Arnhem Land
484:Categories
232:2024-05-31
157:References
140:and thus,
44:Aboriginal
32:Madjedbebe
471:0003-598X
451:Antiquity
421:0305-4403
379:0883-6353
335:0883-6353
287:0277-3791
208:0277-3791
151:macropods
125:quartzite
147:rock art
138:hematite
132:Rock art
105:termites
469:
419:
377:
333:
285:
206:
121:quartz
40:UNESCO
142:ochre
123:, and
117:chert
467:ISSN
417:ISSN
375:ISSN
331:ISSN
283:ISSN
204:ISSN
38:, a
459:doi
409:doi
367:doi
323:doi
275:doi
196:doi
486::
465:.
455:69
453:.
449:.
429:^
415:.
405:31
403:.
399:.
387:^
373:.
363:36
361:.
357:.
343:^
329:.
319:35
317:.
313:.
295:^
281:.
271:21
269:.
265:.
241:^
224:.
202:.
192:13
190:.
186:.
164:^
119:,
72:.
50:.
473:.
461::
423:.
411::
381:.
369::
337:.
325::
289:.
277::
235:.
210:.
198::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.