Further Research of the Willandra Lakes Fossil Footprint Site, Southeastern Australia

Journal of Human Evolution 52 (2007) 711e715

News and Views Further research of the Willandra Lakes fossil footprint site, southeastern Australia

Steve Webb*

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bond University, Gold Coast QLD 4229, Australia Received 31 August 2006; accepted 2 February 2007

Keywords: Fossil footprints; Ice Age; Willandra Lakes; Paleoenvironment

Introduction prevailing westerly winds. Consequently, there is a gradual un- covering of prints due to these natural causes, and in some This paper presents further results from continuing research parts of the site yet to be formally investigated, prints are ap- on a large fossil human footprint site dated to between 23e pearing in this manner. Initially, the prints are visible as faint 19 ka and located in the Willandra World Heritage Area, outlines filled in with clay. The clay is compact but loose and western New South Wales, Australia. It follows publication not the same consistency as the print surface, so it is easily of initial investigations undertaken in 2003e2004 (Webb removed. et al., 2006). That paper described the discovery of 123 adult The total number of prints has now almost tripled and the and juvenile footprints, including eight individual trackways number of trackways has risen from eight to 23. In addition across a paleowetland close to one of a series of fossil lakes. to the 15 new trackways, Trackway 1 (T1) has now grown Here I report the discovery of additional trackways and other from 14 to 29 prints, T2 from 13 to 24, T3 from 11 to 27, marks from further excavation. The work has broadened our T4 from 15 to 22, T5 from four to eight, T7 from seven to understanding of the activities of Ice Age groups inhabiting nine, and T8 from seven to 11 (Table 1). The new trackways the region, as well as the environment in which they lived. T0 and T9e22 range from four to 29 prints in length and com- prise a total of 240 new trackway prints. These, together with the previously reported 123 trackway prints and an estimated Further opening of the site 200 isolated prints, constitute a new total of 563 prints for the site. Another 150 prints are present, but they are incom- The original prints occurred on a naturally exposed and plete and difficult to record for size or as defined trackways. 2 partially excavated 700 m magnesite clay pavement. The Some appear only as heel or toe marks. The T0 trackway com- area has now been extended to the north, opening a further prises seven prints that have begun to erode out on the eastern 2 150 m . The work removed a thin covering of cracked and par- side of the site. These average 260 mm long and run parallel tially fragmented green-gray hardpan clay, which is consoli- T1e5 and T8. dated and hard to remove on the eastern edge. The hardpan continues eastward, disappearing under increasingly deeper Analysis dune sand, which has helped preserve the pavement. Due to its degraded condition, the cracked clay layer is easily re- The large sample of prints now available calls for a more moved, but its fragility also predisposes it to removal by detailed assessment of stature, speed, sex, and even weight of many individuals and provides refinement of previously * Tel.: þ61 07 55952587 (W); fax: þ61 07 55952672 (W). published data. The new analysis brings to bear a series of E-mail address: [email protected] comparative anthropometric studies of various groups of

Table 1 Reconstruction of stature, weight, and gait from the fossil footprints Track/sex Weight (kg)* Age Foot length Stride length Foot lengths Stature Relative Relative Velocity Stride Cadence (steps/ Speed Sp** (cm) l (m) L per stride l0 (m) S** stride L0** speed V0** V** (m/s) time T** min) C** (km/hr)

T0 Male 58.7/56.6 Adult 26.0 2.76 10.6 1.71 1.61 3.49 5.97 0.46 261 21.6 711 (2007) 52 Evolution Human of Journal / Webb S. T1 Male 67.6/65.3 Adult 30.0 2.29 7.6 1.97 1.16 1.60 3.15 0.73 164 11.3 T2 Male 61.1/59.0 Adult 27.0 2.48 9.2 1.78 1.39 2.46 4.38 0.57 211 15.7 T3 Male 64.5/62.3 Adult 28.5 2.70 9.5 1.88 1.44 2.68 5.04 0.54 222 18.0 T4 Male 61.1/59.0 Adult 27.0 2.83 10.5 1.78 1.59 3.39 6.03 0.47 255 21.7 T5 Male 62.1/60.0 Adult 27.5 3.23 11.7 1.81 1.79 4.49 8.13 0.40 300 29.1 T6 Juvenile d 9 yrs 20.5 1.17 5.7 1.29 0.91 1.11 2.90 0.40 300 10.5 T7 Juvenile d 4 yrs 16.0 1.17 7.3 1.00 1.17 2.03 2.03 0.47 255 5.1 T8 Male 66.6/64.3 Adult 29.5 3.73 12.7 1.94 1.92 5.31 10.30 0.36 333 37.3 T9 Juvenile d 9 yrs 20.7 1.18 5.7 1.30 0.91 1.11 1.03 1.15 104 3.7 T10 Male 57.3/55.3 Adult 25.4 1.21 4.8 1.67 0.73 0.66 1.10 1.10 109 4.0 T11 Juvenile d 8 yrs 19.8 1.00 5.1 1.25 0.80 0.82 1.03 0.97 124 3.7 T12 Juvenile d 9 yrs 20.7 1.17 5.7 1.30 0.90 1.09 1.42 0.82 146 5.1 T13 Juvenile d 6 yrs 17.5 0.99 5.7 1.10 0.90 1.09 1.20 0.83 145 4.3 T14 Juvenile d 4 yrs 15.9 1.00 6.3 1.00 1.00 1.40 1.40 0.71 169 5.1 T15 Female 49.0/46.0 Adult 24.0 2.61 10.9 1.58 1.65 4.60 7.27 0.36 333 26.1 T16 Male? 55.2/53.3 Adult 24.4 2.90 12.0 1.61 1.80 5.65 9.10 0.32 375 32.6 T17 Male 57.6/55.6 Adult 25.6 2.12 8.3 1.68 1.26 1.95 3.28 0.65 185 11.8 e

T18 Female 49.3/46.3 Adult 24.2 1.23 5.1 1.59 0.77 0.75 1.19 1.03 117 4.3 715 T19 Female 49.9/46.8 Adult 24.5 1.60 6.5 1.61 0.99 1.36 2.19 0.73 164 7.9 T20 Male? 55.6/53.7 Adult 24.6 1.33 5.4 1.62 0.82 0.87 1.41 0.94 128 5.1 T21 Female 49.6/46.5 Adult 24.4 1.07 4.4 1.60 0.67 0.53 0.85 1.25 96 3.1 T22 Male 57.3/55.4 Adult 25.4 1.24 4.9 1.67 0.74 0.55 0.92 1.35 88 3.3 * Estimates based on studies by Abbie (1974; ﬁrst value) and Burston (1913; second value). ** See Table 2 for formula used to calculate parameter. S. Webb / Journal of Human Evolution 52 (2007) 711e715 713

Aboriginal people during the early and middle twentieth cen- 1987; Robbins, 1985, 1987; Tuttle, 1987). These formulae use tury (1904; Burston, 1913; Wood Jones and Campbell, 1924; foot length, stride length, and stature data to produce gait pa- Campbell and Lewis, 1926; Campbell and Hackett, 1927; rameters such as relative stride (L0), relative speed (V0), veloc- Campbell et al., 1936; Howells, 1937; Abbie, 1961a,b, 1974; ity (V), stride time (T ), cadence (C ), and thus, actual speed Kettle, 1966; Brown and Barrett, 1971). These form a sample (Sp)(Charteris et al., 1981: 497, Table 1). These are presented of 1800 individuals from various traditional and rural back- in Table 2 and for consistency follow Charteris et al.’s grounds in north, central, and southern parts of Australia. notation. The studies provide data regarding individual foot length Trackways 1e5 clearly show speed increases from T1 and stature for adults and juveniles and in some cases for through T5, with T5 being the fastest (Table 1). Trackway 8 males and females. Therefore, careful application of their re- was made by the fastest-moving individual, who was on the sults may offer a better understanding of the morphological outer edge of the group (Fig. 1). The regular and parallel pat- profile of the people who made the footprints. tern suggests a contemporary event involving six men in a flanking movement. It is far less likely that they were Foot length made on six different occasions by six different men moving in the same direction, with each individual spacing their track Recent Aboriginal anthropometric data show a male range from the others and adjusting their speed to suit. Trackway 4 is of 195e300 mm, with an average of 250 mm, and a female that of a one-legged man moving at 21.7 km/hr, which seems range of 204e268 mm, with an average of 231 mm (Kettle, incredible but is discussed further below. 1966; Abbie, 1974). The range of foot length for the fossil The new trackways (T9e22) are oriented in a variety of di- prints is 159e300 mm, and the large overlap between male rections. With the exception of T15, which is oriented south to and female foot lengths makes assignment of sex to an individ- north, and the diagonally oriented T17, which runs from south- ual footprint difficult, with only the largest (which exceeds the west to northeast, the new prints cross the site from west to maximum value for the female comparative sample) accept- east or vice versa. A group of five closely positioned tracks able as male. Similarly, separation of subadults from adults us- (T9e13) are composed of prints from one adult and four chil- ing foot length is difficult, with the minimum male length well dren. They were ambling at various speeds between 3.7e within the six-year-old range of 163e202 mm. The minimum 5.1 km/hr, with some individuals crossing the tracks of others. female length (204 mm) is within the eight-year-old range of Trackway 14 has 29 juvenile prints, which average 159 mm 177e208 mm. Exceptions are those assigned a juvenile status long. Trackways 16 and 19e22 consist of prints from adults (T6, 7, 9, 11e14), which takes their height into consideration. who were moving in both directions east to west.

Stature Weight Stature assessment assists in refining an individual’s sex Individual weight estimates were made using two derived and speed characteristics. Historical anthropometric stature g/cm calculations for males and females. These were calcu- data recorded by Abbie (1974) and Burston (1913) were de- lated using data from two studies, the first conducted by Abbie rived from male and female samples of 268 and 181, respec- (1974) on a large sample of 1200 Aboriginal people (male in- tively. They yielded a stature range of 146e191 cm for dex ¼ 343.1 g/cm; female index ¼ 309.9 g/cm) and the second males and 138e174 cm for females, but the substantial over- conducted by Burston (1913) on a small sample (12 females lap between sexes poses some difficulty in using stature as and 20 males). Male and female indices of 331.0 g/cm a sexing tool. Nevertheless, the difference between the male (s.d. ¼ 86.4) and 290.9 g/cm (s.d. ¼ 22.9), respectively, were and female averages of 168 cm and 156 cm, respectively, calculated. The large standard deviation for the male index does allow a measure of guidance for sex-based division. Aboriginal juvenile stature exceeds 100 cm after four years of age, reaching 140 cm by 11 years (Kettle, 1966; Brown and Table 2 Barrett, 1971; Abbie, 1971). The latter value overlaps with Gait parameters the lower end of the female range (137 cm). Moreover, Measure Symbol Formula 14-year-old male and female stature equals average adult Foot length l d female stature and exceeds the lower end of the male range Stride length L d by nine centimeters. Therefore, it is not possible to separate Foot lengths per stride l0 d older juveniles from short adults. Stature SS¼ l 6.58 Relative stride L0 L0 ¼ L/S 0 0 0 0.42* Speed Relative speed V V ¼ L a2/60 Velocity VV¼ V0 S Stride time TT¼ L/V Following further work on the site, speed was calculated for Cadence CC¼ 120/T Sp the new trackways. These estimates were made with formulae Speed (km/hr) Sp Sp ¼ L/2 C 60/1000 * used for determining gait and speed of the Laetoli hominid Where a2 is a constant: for males, a2 ¼ 63; for females and juveniles, footprints in northern Tanzania (Charteris et al., 1981; Leakey, a2 ¼ 69 (after Charteris et al., 1981). 714 S. Webb / Journal of Human Evolution 52 (2007) 711e715

to them. Other interpretations included confirmation of T18 and T19 as female tracks and T14 as those of a four- to five-year-old child. The adult male ‘‘hunters’’ were also confirmed as such, as were the sex assignments already estab- lished for other tracks. A number of small marks across the site indicated to the Pintubi that spears had been rested on their blunt ends. The combined average diameter of these marks (n ¼ 9) is 13.5 mm, with a range of 9e17 mm, indicating that a variety of spears were rested in this way as common practice. A groove measuring 70 cm in length was identified by the Pin- tubi as a spear ricocheting off the muddy surface. Two other random wavy grooves in a small partial semicircle were identified as a child’s fingers in the soft clay surface, suggesting that this part of the pavement was not under water. A number of circular and oval impressions were reported previously (Webb et al., 2006: Figure 4d). These were interpreted by the Pintubi as the blunt end of a thick pole, perhaps a digging stick, sharpened at one end and rested on the blunt end to prevent blunting of the sharp end. Large circular marks 20e 30 mm in diameter may reflect marks left by a supporting pole used by the one-legged man. The marks are consistent with the shape and diameter of the mulga (Acacia sp.) support pole used traditionally by the Pintubi one-legged man (Thomson, 1975). However, they are visible on older surfaces underlying the main pavement. In order to make a complete interpretation of these marks, a firmer understanding of the re- lationship of the various layers to one another and the time Fig. 1. Schematic of 22 trackways at the Willandra Lakes fossil footprint site. frames in which they were formed is required. The likelihood of digging sticks being used in the area is high because roots may be due to a partial dependence on a poor European diet, and tubers of water plants probably grew around this wetland resulting in a weight differential across the group higher than feature. might normally be expected among those enjoying a traditional diet. Among traditional people with a narrowly defined Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) study ‘‘bush’’ diet and socially enforced sharing, which may have characterized the track-makers, considerably less variation A GPR study was undertaken at the end of 2005 to investi- would be expected. Using averages derived from the two gate the extent of the clay pavement that lies under the dune indices, weight ranges are 58.3e60.4 kg for males and sediments east and north of the investigated site and under 46.4e49.5 kg for females, indicating that the people were which many of the trackways disappear or emerge (Speer lithe, in some cases tall, and possessed little body fat (Table 1). et al., 2006). The area surveyed included a 150 150 m area pegged out in 10 m squares and a 130 100 m area fur- Traditional interpretation ther east divided into 25 m squares. The work showed that the present footprint pavement extends a further 70 m east and It was deemed essential to produce as full an interpretation 40 m north. It has an irregular shape with a curved extension of the trackways as possible, and thus traditional Pintubi peo- north-northeast and a 30 m easterly extension that broadens ple from central Australia were invited to the site for this pur- into a 50-m-wide area for another 25 m. Thus, the amount pose. The Pintubi grew up without any European influence, of pavement expected to have footprints covers an area of and they provided a unique and traditional interpretation of 2275 m2. At the present print density, such an area amounts the trackways as a people who live in the same traditional to approximately 2000 more prints, which would have im- way as those making the prints may have. Importantly for mense implications for interpreting the activities of the people the understanding of the site, they grew up with a one-legged using the area, as well as tracing the present trackways to pos- man who was highly regarded for his hunting skills and unfet- sible conclusions. Confirmation of more trackways was made tered activities (Thomson, 1975). His tracks and abilities using by their revelation 8e10 cm below in situ sediments. one leg were well known to those visiting the site, and they Paleoenvironmental features that emerged from the GPR confirmed that the individual who had left T4 was indeed work included a ‘‘pond’’ feature lying 10 m east of the site. someone with only one leg (right); the ability of this man to This feature probably contained water to a depth of 1e2m. hop in a manner indicated by the prints was not a surprise As such, it may have been a particular focus for the band’s S. Webb / Journal of Human Evolution 52 (2007) 711e715 715 activities and it may have been to this feature that many of the for the 3TTG and general assistance in the research process. people were heading. The shape and depth of the clay surfaces GBG Australia provided technical expertise for the GPR study. suggests an uneven pattern of Ice Age living surfaces, some containing several small basins or ponds at different levels rel- References ative to each other. This is also indicated by another feature revealed by the survey, a buried truncation or gully close to Abbie, A.A., 1961a. A preliminary survey of the growth pattern of central the footprint clays at their northern end. It is possible that Australian Aboriginal males. Oceania 31, 215e221. this is a small creek line that may have played a part in the lo- Abbie, A.A., 1961b. Recent field work on the physical anthropology of cal hydrology. Australian Aborigines. Aust. J. Sci. 23, 210e211. Abbie, A.A., 1974. Studies in Physical Anthropology, vol. 2. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, RRS 4, Canberra. Conclusions Brown, T., Barrett, M.J., 1971. Growth in central Australian Aborigines: stature. Med. J. Aust. 2, 29e33. Burston, R., 1913. Records of the anthropometric measurements of 102 The trackways reported on here provide a unique picture of Australian aboriginals. Bulletin of the Northern Territory of Australia human activity at the height of the last Australian Ice Age. Number 7. The paleobiological data have improved our understanding of Campbell, T.D., Hackett, C., 1927. Adelaide University Field Anthropology: human morphology at that time. Moreover, group social dynam- Central Australia. No. 1dIntroduction Descriptive and Anthropometric e ics are now understood in a way not previously known from stan- Observations. Trans. Proc. R. Soc. S. Aust. 51, 65 75. Campbell, T.D., Lewis, A.J., 1926. The Aborigines of south Australia: Anthro- dard archaeological data. These have provided fresh insight into pometric, descriptive and other observations recorded at Ooldea. Trans. group activity and land-use in a region that had previously been Proc. R. Soc. S. Aust. 50, 183e191. thought to focus almost entirely on a lacustrine economy using Campbell, T.D., Grey, J.H., Hackett, C.J., 1936. Physical anthropology of the the Willandra Lake System, which includes Lake Mungo. Un- Aborigines of south Australia. Oceania 7, 106e139. fortunately, surface weathering has required that the site be bur- Charteris, J., Wall, J.C., Nottrodt, J.W., 1981. Functional reconstruction of gait from the Pliocene hominid footprints at Laetoli, northern Tanzania. Nature ied until these processes are better understood. 290, 496e498. Howells, W.W., 1937. Anthropometry of the natives of Arnhem Land and the Australian race problem. Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Acknowledgments Archaeology and Ethnology 16, 1e97. Kettle, E.S., 1966. Weight and height curves for Australian Aboriginal infants Many people and organizations contributed their skills in and children. Med. J. Aust. 1, 972e977. helping preserve, research, and manage the site. The New Leakey, M., 1987. The hominid footprints: An introduction. In: Leakey, M.D., South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, the New Harris, J.M. (Eds.), Laetoli: A Pliocene Site in Northern Tanzania. Claren- don Press, Oxford, pp. 490e496. South Wales Department of Environment and Heritage are Robbins, L.M., 1985. Footprints: Collection, Analysis and Interpretation. thanked for their continuing financial and logistic support. Charles C. Thomas Publications, Springfield. Thanks to New South Wales Minister for the Environment Robbins, L.M., 1987. The hominid footprints: Hominid footprints from Site G. Robert Debus; Steve Millington, Regional Manager Western In: Leakey, M.D., Harris, J.M. (Eds.), Laetoli: A Pliocene Site in Northern e Region; Jo Gorman, Area Manager; and Harvey Johnston, Re- Tanzania. Clarendon Press, Oxford, pp. 497 502. Speer, J., Skeen, H., Williams, S., 2006. Ground penetrating radar investiga- gional Archaeologist, who provided mapping data for the site. tion to delineate the possible extent of the Pleistocene clay layer containing Members of the Three Traditional Tribal Groups, who co- human footprints within the Willandra Lakes region, New South Wales. manage the World Heritage Region, have played a particularly Unpublished Report No. GBGA-0300 Draft. GBGA Australia Pty Ltd, active role in the work and provide continued support and en- Sydney. couragement for ongoing research. Many members of these Thomson, D., 1975. Bindibu Country. Nelson, Brisbane. Tuttle, R.H., 1987. The hominid footprints: Kinesiological inferences and evo- three communities also gave their time and labor during exca- lutionary implications from Laetoli bipedal trails G-1, G-2/3, and A. In: vation of the site. The Pintubi people, who traveled a long way Leakey, M.D., Harris, J.M. (Eds.), Laetoli: A Pliocene Site in Northern and gave their time in interpreting the site, are also gratefully Tanzania. Clarendon Press, Oxford, pp. 503e523. thanked for their participation. They include Paddy Japa- Webb, S., Cupper, M.L., Robins, R., 2006. Pleistocene human footprints from e nangka, Johnny Japarrula, Mijili Napanangka, Cindy Naka- Willandra Lakes, southeastern Australia. J. Hum. Evol. 50, 405 413. Wood Jones, F., Campbell, T.D., 1924. Anthropometric and descriptive obser- marra, and Peter Bartlett Japaljari. The Central Australian vations on some south Australian Aboriginals, with a summary of previ- Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) provided support ously recorded anthropometric data. Trans. Proc. R. Soc. S. Aust. 48, for their visit. Michael Westaway provided logistic support 303e312.