Aboriginal Burials I Resource Sheet 5
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I I REGIONAL STUDY OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE I CENTRAL LOWLANDS HUNTER VALLEY I ELECTRICITY COMMISSION HOLDINGS I A Report to the Electricity Commission of NSW I In Three Volumes I July 1990 I I I I I I I I C§j. I I I I Volume 3: Assessment of Aboriginal Sites I MARGRIT KOETTIG I I REGIONAL STUDY OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE CENTRAL LOWLANDS HUNTER VALLEY ELECTRICITY HOLDINGS ERRATA VOLUME 1: p.8, 3rd para: 0.77% should read 7.7% p.9, 4th para: illustrated in section 7.7. should read discussed in section 7 p.ll,lst para: section 8.5 should be section 6.3. p.18,4th para: (0.77%) should read 7.7% VOLUME 3: p.25, last para: section 3.5 should be section 4.5. p.35, 3rd para: section 3.5.2 should be section 5. I I' I I REGIONAL STUDY OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE I CENTRAL LOWLANDS: HUNTER VALLEY I ELECTRICITY COMMISSION HOLDINGS I A Report to the Electricity Commission of NSW. I I July 1990 I I I I I 'I I Volume 3: Assessment of Aboriginal Sites I MARGRIT KOETTIG I I I I I I CONTENTS I I 1 1.0 Introduction to the Report .........••••..••.••....7 I 1.1 Project Brief ................................8 1.2 Methodology .... .8 I. 2.0 Aboriginal Consultation .......•........•..•.... 10 3.0 Environmental Setting .....................••.• 11 t 3.1 Introduction ............................... 11 3.2 Geology and Landforms ........................ 11 3.3 Vegetation ................................ 12 I 3.4 Land Systems .............................. 12 I 4.0 The Hunter Valley Project .............••........ 13 4.1 Introduction ............................... 13 4.2 Types of Sites .............................. 13 I 4.3 Distribution of Sites .......... 14 4.3.1 Introduction ............................... 14 4.3.2 Sub-regions ............................... 14 I 4.3.3 Land-systems .............................. 16 4.3.4 Land Units . 16 4.4 Stratigraphic Context of Stone Artefacts ............... 17 I 4.5 Age of Occupation ........................... 18 4.5.1 Datable Material .................... '. 18 4.5.2 Stone Artefact Sequence and Technological Change . 19 I 4.6 Summary ................................. 20 5.0 Update of Data Base 1984-1989 .................... 22 I 5.1 Introduction ............................... 22 5.2 Site Distribution .. 22 5.2.1 Sub-regions ................................ 22 I 5.2.2 Land Systems and Land Units . .. 23 5.3 Stratigraphic Context .......................... 23 5.4 . Age of Occupation ........................... 24 I 5.4.1 Datable Material . 24 5.4.2 Technological Analysis . .25 1 5.5 Summary ................................ 26 I I I- I Regional Archaeological Study: Hunter Vally - I 6.0 Limitations of the Data Base .•••.•.•.....•.•.••.• 27 6.1 Introduction ..... _. 27 I 6.2 Types of Limitations .......................... 27 6.2.1 Data Collection Methods . .. 27 6.2.2 Site Detectibility . .30 I 6.2.3 Site Definition . 32 6.2.4 Site Exposure .............................. 33 6.2.5 Recording Site Content . 35 I 6.3 Summary ................................. 36 7.0 Significance Assessment ••..•.••....••••.••..••• 37 I' 7.1 Introduction ............................... 37 7.2 Evaluation of Significance ....................... 37 7.2.1 Introduction ............................... 37 I 7.2.2 Levels of Assessment . 37 7.3 Areas of Known Aboriginal Significance . 40 7.4 Areas of Known Archaeological Significance . _. 40 I 7.4.1 General - Subregions .... -:-. 40 7.4.2 Local - Land Systems .......................... 40 7.5 Areas of Archaeological Sensitivity . 41 I 7.6 Areas of Aboriginal Sensitivity ....................42 7.7 Areas of No Archaeological Interest ................. 42 I 7.8 Summary ................................. 43 8.0 Archaeological Work Carried out in Present Commission Holdings4S 8.1 Introduction ............................... 45 I 8.2 Bayswater ......................;......... 45 8.2.1 Surveys Undertaken .......................... 45 I 8.2.2 Final Recommendations for Sites .................. 46 8.2.2.1 Preservation ............................... 46 8.2.2.2 Mitigation Works Required ...................... 46 I 8.2.2.3 Consents to Destroy .......................... 47 8.3 Mount Arthur Soutb/North ...................... 47 8.3.1 Survey at Mount Arthur South .................... 47 I 8.3.2 Survey at Mount Arthur North . 47 8.3.3 Salvage Work .............................. 48 8.3.4 Final Recommendations ........................ 48 I 8.3.4.1 Preservation ............................... 48 8.3.4.2 Mitigation Works Required ...................... 48 8.3.4.3 Consents to Destroy . 49 I 8.3.4.4 Other ................................... 49 8.4 Ravensworth .............................. 49 8.4.1 Survey Work. ........ .' . 49 I 8.4.2 Final Recommendations ........................ 50 8.4.2.1 Preservation ............................... 50 8.4.2.2 Further Archaeological Investigations ................ 50 I 8.4.2.3 Mitigation . 50 8.4.2.4 Other Recommendations ....................... 50 8.4.2.5 Consents to Destroy ........................... 50 I 8.5 Liddell .................................. 50 I Page2 I -_. ------------------------------~ I Regional Archaeological Study: Hunter Vally I 8.6 Swamp Creek ..............................50 8.7 Transmission Lines ........................... 51 I 8.8 . Conclusions ............................... 51 9.0 Development Impact and Management Strategies .••...•.. 53 I 9.1 Introduction ............................... 53 9.2 Development Impact on Aboriginal Sites . 53 ·9.3 Management Objectives ........................53 I 9.4 Current Management Procedures Used by the Commission .... 55 I 10.0 Bibliography ............................... 57 11.0 Appendices .............................. I, 11.1 Appendix I: The Brief ......................... 11.1 Appendix ll: Description of Sub-regions in the Hunter Valley (from Hughes 1984) ........................... 11.3 Appendix Ill: Descriptions of Aboriginal Site Types in NSW t (NPWS Resource Sheet) ........................ 11.4 Appendix IV: Predictive Models Proposed by Hughes (1984) I 11.5 Appendix V: List of Sites on Conimission Property ........ .. I I I I I, I I I I 'I I Page3 I I Regional Archaeological Study: Hunter Vally I TABLES CONTAINED IN. THE TEXT I Table 1. Characteristics of the Major Parts of the Land Systems I Table 2. Distribution of Sites Along Redbank Creek I Table 3. Evidence from Dated Sites Table 4. Distribution of Sites in Land Units I Table 5. Distribution of Sites in Land Units - Comparison Between Results of Surveys Prior to HV Project and Those Later. I Table 6. Characteristics Distinguishing Artefacts from Units A and B at SGCD16 I Table 7. Surveys Undertaken to Completion of Hunter Valley Project I Table 8. Surveys Undertaken Since Hunter Valley Project Table 9. Distribution of Sites- Proximity to Creeklines I Table 10. Distribution of Sites per Land Unit at Eight Survey Locations I Table 11. Visibility at Mt Arthur North I Table 12. Summary of Site Descriptions for Sample Survey Areas Table 13. Artefact Densities at Open Sites-Excavated and Collected Samples I Table 14. Variation in Artefacts at Sites I Table 15. Types of Development I I, I I I I Page4 - I I Regional Archaeological Study: Hunter Vally I Figure 24. Distribution of Coal Reserves in the Hunter Valley I Figure 25. Location of National Parks and Reserves in the Hunter Valley I Figure 26. Location of Sites in State Forests in the Hunter Valley I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Page6 - I I . Regional Archaeological Study: Hunter Vally I SECTION 1.0 I INTRODUCTION TO THE REPORT , I I I This report presents the results of a review of Aboriginal sites in the Hunter Valley I Region. This review was undertaken for the Electricity Commission of NSW. The Electricity Commission's current land holdings in the Hunter Valley contain I Aboriginal sites. Other areas ofland, which the Commission may acquire in the future, are also likely to contain sites. I The main aim of the present study is to provide information which will assist the Commission in planning future developments for the region and to manage Aboriginal sites on existing Commission holdings in a responsible manner. The I existing holdings are shown in Figure 1 (This map is based on information supplied by the Commission). I The Commission's main area of concern within the Hunter Valley is land within which coal reserves are likely to occur. Thus, for the purposes of the present study, the area between Cessnock, Murrurundi and Merriwa (i.e. basically the area within the I 1:250,000 Singleton map sheet) has been targeted for particular attention. This is also the area within which most archaeological survey work in the Hunter Valley Region has been concentrated and it will be referred to as THE STUDY AREA throughout I the text. I This report presents background information relevant to an assessment of the archaeological resource in the whole Hunter Valley Region at a general level, a more specific assessment of the archaeological resource within the Study Area and a set of I recommendations for its management. The recommendations are in two sections relating to: I 1) the MANAGEMENT of sites and future work required within current Commission property and I 2) the archaeological work likely to be required in areas to be acquired in the future. A set of maps accompanying the report provides the basis for discussion about the I location of sites, the reasons for their currently known distribution, and the identification of areas which are considered to be particularly archaeologically I sensitive and