Archaeology
School of Social Sciences
Seminar Series
2015
Victoria Anderson
UWA Archaeology
Rock art of the mid-Holocene marine transgression on the Dampier Archipelago
Dampier Archipelago, located on the sub-tropical
northwest coast of Australia, is home to arguably
the largest and most dense concentration of
petroglyphs in the world. The distinctive geology of
this region, characterised by spectacular piles of
fractured blocks, provides countless suitable
canvases for rock art production. This resource-rich
island chain has not, however, always been as such.
At the height of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM),
approximately 21,000 years ago, sea levels were 130
metres lower than at present. During this period,
the ocean was 160 km distant and what now
comprises a series of 42 islands, was then an inland
range on a vast plain. As the sea advanced, reaching
its current position 6000 years ago, people were
likely forced to adapt to their changing
environment. On the Dampier Archipelago a
unique opportunity exists to understand how people
responded to this dramatic landscape
transformation, using the prolific rock art as a lens.
The primary goal of this proposed research is to
explore the ways in which people responded and
adapted to the arrival of the sea through a detailed
analysis of the rock art and associated archaeological evidence. The project will also focus on refining the
stylistic chronology of Holocene art in the area. Broad chronologies have been developed for the Murujuga
rock art by Mulvaney, Veth and McDonald, however this current research proposal aims to improve
stylistic characterisation of art within the maritime-focussed phases of the sequence.
4-5pm Thursday 10th December, 2015
Social Sciences, Lecture Theatre (G130)