Victoria River Road Archaeological Report 2005 TR03/06 Victoria Highway Chainage 185 to 220 km Archaeological Report Prepared for: Construction Division, Department of Planning and Infrastructure Northern Territory Government. by Daryl Guse and Richard Woolfe Earth Sea Heritage Surveys PO Box 283, Nightcliff, 0814. Phone: 08 89481083. Mobile: 0409454767. February 2006. Earth Sea Heritage Surveys 1 Victoria River Road Archaeological Report 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2 TABLES ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................................................................................................... 4 RESULTS SUMMARY..................................................................................................................................................................................4 1.1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................................................5 1.2. SCOPE OF THE STUDY........................................................................................................................................................................5 1.3. LEGISLATIVE BASIS FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION....................................................................................................6 1.4. VICTORIA RIVER REGION .................................................................................................................................................................7 1.5. CONSULTATION WITH TRADITIONAL OWNERS..............................................................................................................................7 2.0. ENVIRONMENT AND INDIGENOUS LAND USE................................................................................................................ 9 2.1. GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY..................................................................................................................................................9 2.2. LAND SYSTEMS AND VEGETATION...............................................................................................................................................10 2.3. INDIGENOUS USE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES..................................................................................................................10 3.0. BACKGROUND ARCHAEOLOGICAL INFORMATION.................................................................................................12 3.1. TYPES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIAL ......................................................................................................................................12 3.2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND............................................................................................................................................................13 3.3. ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE VICTORIA RIVER REGION.............................................................................................15 3.4. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYS OF THE VICTORIA HIGHWAY......................................................................................................16 3.5. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE PATTERNS IN THE VICTORIA RIVER REGION ....................................................................................16 3.5.1. Uplands Archaeology...........................................................................................................................................................17 3.6. ARCHAEOLOGICAL PREDICTIVE SITE MODELS FOR THE ORD-VICTORIA RIVER...................................................................17 3.6.1. Settlement patterns of the Uplands.....................................................................................................................................18 3.7. SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................................................................18 4.0. METHODOLOGY ...........................................................................................................................................................................19 4.1 HERITAGE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES..........................................................................................................................................19 4.2. ARTEFACT IDENTIFICATION............................................................................................................................................................20 4.3. RAW MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION..................................................................................................................................................22 4.4. SITE DEFINITION...............................................................................................................................................................................23 4.5. DEFINITION OF BACKGROUND SCATTERS OF ISOLATED ARTEFACTS......................................................................................24 4.6. TAPHONOMIC PROCESSES IN THE VICTORIA RIVER REGION.....................................................................................................26 4.7. SURVEY METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................................................................26 5.0. RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................................................................27 5.1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................................................27 5.2. BACKGROUND SCATTERS...............................................................................................................................................................27 5.2. VICTORIA HIGHWAY SURVEY RESULTS.......................................................................................................................................28 5.3. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES................................................................................................................................................................34 Site RG3-AS01...................................................................................................................................................................................35 Site RG7-AS02...................................................................................................................................................................................35 Site RG7-AS03...................................................................................................................................................................................36 Site RG7 AS04...................................................................................................................................................................................37 Site RG7 AS05...................................................................................................................................................................................37 Site RG7 AS06...................................................................................................................................................................................38 Skull Creek Area 21-AS01...............................................................................................................................................................38 6.0. DISCUSSION AND HERITAGE ASSESSMENT...................................................................................................................40 6.1. ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCUSSION....................................................................................................................................................40 Earth Sea Heritage Surveys 2 Victoria River Road Archaeological Report 2005 6.2. HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................................................41 6.2.1. Aesthetic Value......................................................................................................................................................................41 6.2.2. Historic Significance.............................................................................................................................................................42 6.2.3. Scientific/Research................................................................................................................................................................43 6.2.4. Social Significance................................................................................................................................................................43 6.2.5. Representativeness and Rarity............................................................................................................................................44