Abstract
Archaic rock engravings are found widely across the arid interior of Australia and are thought to represent an early pan-continental tradition. A late Pleistocene age is assumed because of extensive weathering, but attempts to test this by direct dating have been unsuccessful. We use AMS ¹⁴C dating of calcium oxalate skins covering archaic engravings at two rock shelter sites in Central Australia (Wanga East and Puritjarra), constrained by ¹⁴C dates of charcoal in sedimentary layers beneath the same engraved slabs, to show this rock art is mid-Holocene in age. Despite a limited range of simple geometric designs and uniformity across the arid interior, this corpus of rock art is not associated with the initial peopling of the Australian desert, but is a later development reflecting the dynamics of established desert societies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 191-203 |
| Journal | Geoarchaeology |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Keywords
- Archaeological Science
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